The God I Once Knew
by The Hidden Lostar
Summary: What if I told you Yurippe's uncanny resemblance to a certain someone was more than just a coincidence? After the events of "Angel Beats," Yurippe was transported to a universe ruled by an unexpected God.
1. Yuri 1: Semi Homecoming

Up until just now, my perceptions of the way the world worked were justified. I figured that the stages of life took the form of a continuous cycle. Following life would be the afterlife and when that is done, you reincarnate into a new, random life and repeat the process. It makes sense, right?

Most of my peers in my past life did not believe in such things and even I was skeptical along with them. But now, I have no choice but to believe... After all, I lived in the afterlife unless... everything that happened was a dream. No, it can't be. I remember everything! I remember spending most of my afterlife resisting the whole concept of life. I wanted to come face-to-face with God and show it just what I thought about the world it created. I even remember the boy that turned everything around and steered everyone in the right direction. It is because I remember, however, that what is going on now is absolutely wrong!

I am back in Japan! My age is the same, and my memories of the afterlife are intact. What God would allow a creature like me to exist with knowledge like this? To make matters even more complicated, I did not even spawn anywhere close to my hometown. In fact, I am certain that I've never been here in my entire life! Why is this happening?

The winding city is more suburban than my hometown, much to my discomfort. After countless hours of walking around interrogating nearby residents as to my whereabouts, the endless paths of concrete began to take its toll on me. I wore myself out scanning the city and the day had already begun to transition onto the late afternoon. Finding shelter should not be much trouble, but I still felt that I wasted too much time without making much progress.

I ultimately decide to sit down on a nearby curb with my thoughts as weary as my legs. I close my eyes to envision the utopia I was expecting to see in place of Japan. I prance down my desired grassy valleys without a care in the world. I kneel down to sniff the most beautiful flower in my path, but to no avail... not just because it's impossible, but somehow, my nostrils had become constricted at that very moment! I pry my eyes open to analyze the source of the problem. A tall, common-looking young man that appeared to be around my age stares down at me with a nonchalant expression that complimented his actions.

"Hey, what's the big idea?"

"I should be asking you the same thing, Haruhi," the arrogant brat replied.

I then noticed that the front door of the house behind me was open. This boy standing before me must live there, and I'm loafing around on his property like some weirdo. If that is correct, then I'm the one being strange. However...

"Haruhi..? Who is that..?"

My question came out as a shock to him. The stranger took a closer look at me and panicked. It was then that I realized that he has mistaken me for someone else.

"Wah! I'm sorry! I... I thought that..."

"It's okay," I said while standing up to his level. "This is your yard, isn't it? It was careless of me to lie around out here."

"That's not what I'm worried about," the boy said while rubbing his head. "You're not from around here, are you?"

"I-Is it that obvious?"

"Well yeah, sort of," he answered. "For one thing, your school uniform has a different color scheme than any other school around here. Actually... the fact that you're wearing one on a weekend suggests something else."

"How terrible! I don't work on one of those perverted fanservice buses!"

"That's not what I meant, really!" the boy fumbled.

The flustered face he wore said a lot about him. He seemed somewhat honest and kind. It also seems that he is a bit shy and inexperienced, but it is too soon to start making assumptions like that. While I was thinking such things, I realized a bit too late that he told me his name, but I did not catch it.

"...but you'll hear people call me Kyon from time-to-time," was all I managed to catch from him.

"Kyon.. is it? interesting.."

He gave sighed with a wry smile. Did I say something funny?

"I'm Yuri Nakamura," I said out of courtesy. "People tend to call me Yurippe, even though I don't particularly care for that nickname. It was nice meeting you, but I should be going before it gets too late."

"Do you have anywhere to go?"

"Of course I do!" I shouted "I just said so, didn't I?"

"I see. Sorry.."

I defended myself on impulse, but the truth is that I really did not have anywhere to go. I do not even know exactly where I am. Just what drove him to ask a question like that? It almost sounded as if he knew what I was going through...

"Actually..." I started. "I'm not really in a hurry. I was just in the middle of sight-seeing, that's all."

"This isn't exactly a small town," he replied. "If you want, I can show you a few places."

I cannot read this guy's motives at all. Is the type of person that is always this kind to outsiders? Maybe in the end, he wants something from me. Either way, I can't afford to turn down his offer. Anything is better than being alone in unfamiliar territory after all. Keeping that in mind, I reluctantly accepted.

I decided to suppress the more baffling questions in my mind for now. There is no way I can figure out why I am here right now anyways. I will just have to hope that I can get some sort of clue soon enough. Whatever it is, there has to be some sort of reason. After all, every life has a purpose... right, Otonashi?


	2. Kyon 1: That's not Haruhi!

Springtime is in many ways symbolic. It marks the start of the never-ending cycle of planet Earth and the birth of a new year. Spring has only just begun, and already, a new development in my already abnormal life has made her way into the revolution.

No matter how many times I glance at her, the first ten milliseconds of my observation registers a certain rambunctious Brigade Leader. Each time I got a good look at her face, however, I realize that I am mistaken. Her steps carry a similar air of confidence, but the sounds of her shoes on the pavement are more reserved than Haruhi's; they are softer, and less dominant.

My nickname was called from a distance just as we walked by the front gates of North High.

"Kyon, buddy!" Taniguchi shamelessly shouted "What's up pal?"

"Buddy...? Pal...? You're looking for a favor aren't you? Is it money related?"

"Seriously, Kyon..." Taniguchi sulked. "What kind of person would I be to ask for money while you're going on a date?"

The girl-crazed peer of mine is at it again! Every time he catches me with anyone of the opposite sex, we're factually dating in his eyes. He started the rumours with Sasaki in my middle school years, Haruhi last year, and now...

"At least you understand," said Yuri, smashing my train of thought. "That is why we must be on our way, right Kyon?"

Two long seconds passed and I was at a loss for words. She playfully grabbed me by the arm and guided down the path we were heading. I didn't know what was going on, but I turned around to see the look on Taniguchi's face. The exaggerated pathetic pout he displayed made me regret that I did not own a camera. I wave him off and return my focus to Yuri, who is giving me a smug smile.

"Was I too mean to your friend?" she asked.

"Honestly, I'd say he had it coming. He's always been like that."

"Really? That sounds annoying. Anyways, that's enough about that. Let's continue our date!"

Don't tell me that she was serious... I determined from the start that this I'm dealing with one strange girl, but there is just no preparing for the unexpected.

The first thing on Yuri's mind was to buy some clothes that were more casual than a school uniform. She spent at least a half an hour trying on different outfits and asking for my opinion. I must have disappointed her when I determined that everything she tried on looked good on her. I wasn't just playing it safe either. Her tastes were just that good!

"I'll just have to take your word for it."

Luckily, she had the money to cover the expenses. That meant it was easier for me to treat her to dinner. Naturally, we wound up going to the cafe I've been to over fifteen-thousand times (literally). Yurippe seemed pleased with the selections. I, on the other hand, have had everything on the menu at least twice except for the 'Mabo Tofu' which nearly killed me. I wound up giving that to Nagato, who downed that cauldron of a dish as if it was nothing.

"Back when we first met," Yurippe asked after a sip of green tea. "Who did you think I was when you grabbed me?"

You could have worded that better so that eavesdroppers would not have taken interest! Briefly knowing you, that was probably your intention...

"Even now, you somewhat resemble a friend of mine named Haruhi," I confessed. "Thankfully you two are only similar from the outside."

"What do you mean by that? What is Haruhi like?"

Her curious expression was particularly cute. It gave me the urge to tell her everything I knew about her, but there was only so much I could say without things getting too bizarre.

"You could say that Haruhi is in her own little world, and she is the God of it all."

My concise, yet accurate summary visibly amused Yuri.

"That's so funny because I knew someone just like that once. She spent most of her time watching sci-fi stuff on TV. She was convinced that most of those things existed."

I smiled while asking, "Weren't we all like that at some point?"

"Actually for me..." Yuri hesitated. "It's the other way around. While others slowly started to grow out of fantasy, I started getting into them."

The meaning behind Yuri words did not sink in immediately, but when it did, I reminded myself of something important. Yuri was definitely not your average girl.

"Do you think that you're living in a fantasy now?"

"No way, I'm not that crazy!" Yuri remarked. "This is just another reality!"

"...If this is just another reality, then where is the original?"

Yuri clearly looked surprised when she studied my face. I knew from the beginning that Miss Nakamura had a story to tell, and fortunately for her, I have been trained to take whatever is dished at me. I said just that to her and eventually I convinced her to come clean. Her condition was that it had to be done in some place less populated. A few _historic_ _benches_ came to mind, but when I thought of another unaddressed issue, there is only one location that would additionally solve another potential problem. That is the bench where I had a rendezvous with both Asahinas simultaneously and my first major meeting with Nagato. This is where I lead Yurippe. After a few false starts, she began.

"The truth is... I really am not from around here. In fact, I lived in a completely different part of Japan in the past,"

"So that means you're not an alien."

"Kyon, I'm trying to be serious!" Yurippe shouted.

"I'm not exactly joking around," I assured her.

Yuri hesitated before replying, "In the literal sense, I guess I really am completely alien to both this city and point in time. The bottom line is that I should not be physically alive like this. I should be dead... I should rephrase that. I have _already_ died.. After my past life, I spent a good amount of time in a purgatory with many others like me. And after that... I always thought reincarnation came directly after passing away, but I got this instead! I'm still alive with all my memories, but... I don't know anyone here. I don't know anyone at all except for... except for..!"

I gestured to her that she said enough.

"You don't have to say anymore, Yuri. It sounds like you've had a rough time, but you're here now... if that's any consolation."

"Why... do you believe me so easily?" Yurippe whimpered as her eyes watered. "There's just... no way."

As Yurippe reached her limit and broke down on my shoulder, I started to wonder. Did Haruhi wish for this too? Here I thought Haruhi was starting to get satisfied with the current cast!

"Why, Kyon... why is this happening...?"

How does one classify Nakamura's case? She claims to have lived in the past, so does that make her a time traveler? I don't think she has anything to do with Miss Asahina's faction. The purgatory she mentioned is separate from any of the groups I am already familiar with. She doesn't even have any higher-ups or associates meaning unlike Itsuki, Mikuru, and Yuki, which means whatever motives she has here are completely independent.

Nighttime fell when Yurippe finally calmed down. I realized at that moment that I was slightly behind schedule for the last person I wanted to see tonight. Although knowing _her_, any minute within the twenty-four hour scale would be okay.

"We should be getting some rest soon," I said. "It would be difficult for my parents to approve of you staying with me, but there is a friend of mine who I know would not mind at all."

"..."

_She_ emerged as if on cue. Although I did not even summon her, the friend I had in mind slowly made her way in front of us. Her usual jacket covered her thin frame, and her silver hair perfectly glistened in the moonlight.

"Ah, Nagato, you're here."

She nodded ever-so-slightly in confirmation. Nagato and Yurippe exchanged gazes for the first time. To the naked eye, Nagato's expression would come off as plain and emotionless, but I definitely noticed a trace of curiosity in her eyes.

"Nagato, this is Yuri Nakamura. It's a long story, but we met earlier today and she is in need of shelter for the time being."

"She is permitted to stay with me," she answered outright.

"Ah..." Yuri stammered. "You can call me Yurippe if you'd like."

"Yuki Nagato."

Yuri's eyes told me that she was feeling uncertain.

"I know it may be strange to stay with someone who you just met, but..."

"It can't be helped," Yurippe replied. "I just hope I won't be imposing on your privacy."

"Not at all." Nagato systematically responded.

We said our good-byes and parted ways. I headed back home and finished off yesterday's left overs. The entire house was fast asleep including our cat, Shamisen, who was perched on top of the living room couch.

I lied down and tried to get to sleep early because school was tomorrow, but then I reminded myself that Nakamura would have nowhere to go or no one to talk to because of that. With that in mind, I decided to postpone my retirement to call Nagato.

"..." was Nagato's standard greeting of choice.

"Hello, Nagato. If it wouldn't bother you tomorrow, could you take Yurippe to the school with you tomorrow? It would be a good idea if she were to enroll."

After a long pause, Nagato replied with a most unexpected answer.

"That would conflict with the Integrated Data Thought Entity's instruction."

The aliens' _Big Cheese_ knows about Yurippe? Come to think about it, that should not be surprising in the slightest. Asahina's Time-Travel association has probably foreseen this event too.

"Your boss's instruction? What kind of instruction?"

It must have been my imagination, but I thought I heard a small sigh before Nagato's response.

"Yuri Nakamura and Haruhi Suzumiya must never meet."


	3. Yuri 2: Where the Grass isn't Greener

"Yuri Nakamura and Haruhi Suzumiya must never meet."

For a half of a second after hearing that sentence, I thought Nagato and her faction were worried for Yurippe's sanity... like just being around Haruhi would undeservedly corrupt her mind. Even though that sounds accurate even now...

"Why, Nagato? What is the meaning of this?"

"...The complete details have yet to be conveyed to me," Nagato responded. "However, it is believed that the co-existence of the two creates a high risk of an unwanted cataclysm."

Yurippe personally established that something was different about her, but something isn't right! What could go wrong with her and Haruhi simply meeting each other? So far, we have all managed to go about our abnormal life without letting Haruhi know that she is the one responsible.. then why...

* * *

**20 Minutes Ago**

I cannot sleep. The flatbed Yuki Nagato let me borrow was comfortable enough, but I could not keep my mind from swarming with random thoughts. I need a distraction... television... music... posters... anything! Besides these two identical beds and a black pair of high heels that looks too big for Nagato, there was nothing in this room at all! I should get this girl some posters.. I wonder what kind of hobbies she has... At any rate, I have to get out of here.

I expected my host to be fast asleep by now. She seemed tired from the moment we met. Her attention was completely immersed in the book she was reading, not even glancing over to me when I creaked the door to the guest room open. There is something incredible about this image. Her position is perfect, and for an instant, the simplistic table, floors and walls became appealing. If I had the skill and material to paint, I would have told her to hold still and then I'd get to work. My trance broke when she finally moved to turn the page.

"Do you mind if I step outside for a moment?"

"Go ahead," Nagato responded instantaneously.

"How much longer do you think you will be staying up?" I asked as soon as I thought about it.

"All night," was her response.

"All night...? Don't you have school in the morning?"

"I do."

I decided not to lecture my petite landlord on how obviously unhealthy that is. I just hope she isn't doing it because of me.

"Well then.. I'm off."

Apparently the early evening darkness was what I needed to calm down. As much as the night soothes me, I always found its early beckoning awkward when it was not Daylight Savings Time. As I thought about which setting I preferred, I memorized my location, so I would not get lost.

I paced around the ground level of the apartment while thinking about everything that went on today. I caught myself and realized that I was no longer stressing out about where I am. It must have been because I shared as much as I could with that boy, Kyon...

Even now, I cannot figure out why I shamelessly spilled everything like that. I even lost my composure and everything... How embarrassing! I hope he doesn't get the wrong idea. It's not that I like him or anything! I was just temporarily insane, that's all!

A mirage appeared in front of me when I calmed down and opened my eyes again. It was the same type of visual distortion you see from a distance when the heat is extreme. However, this is not so distant nor was it hot. My anxiety rose the closer I was to approaching it. What is this strange phenomenon? My body automatically stopped about a foot from this tall illusion behind the bushes. As I was just about to take a step back, the image flashed and widened as if its trap was sprung. I braced myself, not knowing what I was getting myself into.

When I regained my vision, it looked as if the earth stood still. The tint of darkness was replaced by an eerie blue. The air was stagnant and everything was silent. I headed back for the apartment complex to go check on Nagato, but no one was around to admit me through the front door. What now..?

A thunderous crash from above broke the silence. The source came from a terrifying sight from above the other side of the apartment. A humongous creature loomed from the other side; it glowed with a vivid neon blue. The hideous morph struck at the roof again.

"S-stop that! Nagato is inside!" I yelled impulsively.

Even though the monstrosity had no eyes, I suddenly got the feeling that it was looking in my direction. Damn! If I knew I would be getting into things like this, I would have come armed. The fighting is supposed to be over...

All of a sudden, a series of glowing orbs zoomed in from the distance and proceeded to harass the giant. The creature wobbly swatted at them like a drunkard that aggravated a beehive. One of the orbs met its mutated palm and was smacked down to my direction; it crashed into the road several yards behind me. I had no idea who to root for at this point, but my legs carried me to the crash site before I had time to debate.

No longer was there a glowing sphere of energy at the center of the crater, but a young man sat there with his face in his hands.

"I cannot help but think that I could have avoided that.." he muttered to himself, looking rather amused.

"Hey, was that you up there?"

The boy was startled and shot a glance at me. From this angle, he looked undeniably handsome aside from his scuff marks.

"Who's there?" he shouted. "S-Suzumiya!"

He rushed out of the pit and straight to me. He really was handsome up close, but the stare he gave me was unnerving.

"...It appears as though I am mistaken. Thank goodness," he said, narrowing his eyes a little. "...but this presence of yours that I feel right now says a lot."

"What are you talking about..?"

He smiles as if his worries were lifted and said, "Well, to make a long story short, your existence here appears to be giving our group some kind of edge."

The well-dressed boy clenches his fist and conjures a small wind like some exaggerated shonen hero.

"Let's see what this power is made of," he said as he transformed back into the luminous orb and flew back towards the giant.

The strange boy gyrated towards the only leg of the monster visible from my perspective. as he got closer, he spiraled while distorting the air behind them. The leg of the creature disintegrated easily, and the monster lost balance; it desperately gripped the roof of the apartment to prevent its fall.

"It's wide open!" I heard his voice say.

All the other orbs flew behind the building and out of my sight. I could not see what happened afterwards, but the giant mutant deteriorated rapidly. I assume the human orbs have won the battle. The boy rushed back to me shortly afterwards and materialized in front of me.

"This cyclone ability will come in handy for the next wave," he said.

"More of those things will be coming?"

"I'm afraid so," he replied. "More importantly, it would most likely be in our best interest to keep you safe during this ordeal. I do not know who you are or where you came from, but please consider me, Itsuki Koizumi, as your temporary guardian for the time being."

My choices were limited. In fact, I have barely been in control of anything all day!

"I can't turn that offer down. I don't even know where I am."

"There is a lot to say about this particular location, but one way or another, you have entered this hollow replica of reality with us espers. This area is what we refer to as a Closed Space."

"Do you guys all live here?" I asked.

"Our home is on the genuine Earth like everyone else," he replied. "This place to us is like a workplace to the average citizen. Our mission here is to tame the Shinjin that infest these areas like the one you just saw."

The Shinjin, in a way, resemble the NPCs that mutated into dangerous matter. There were so many questions to ask about this; I chose the one that perplexed me the most.

"You said earlier that my being here helped you out. Why?"

"That is where things start to get interesting," Itsuki replied. "Our usual source of power is believed to come from the physical entity that holds this world together. You being here has somehow granted us extra unique abilities that notably help get the job done easier."

I honestly don't know what to say about that...

"This is quite the load of information for you to be taking in. Also, on our end, this development is major news that we will not hear the end of anytime soon. Naturally, I would be more than happy to get to know more about you, but the time/place settings are off by a long shot. My current hypothesis is that your arrival here was on accident and you want out as soon as possible."

I had bittersweet feelings for this guy's adept psyche. As he finished his last sentence, two additional Shinjin surfaced in the distance. This time, I could see their full form down to the core. Itsuki expectantly excused himself and joined the other espers in the defense.

I don't understand this pattern at all! The original world I came from did not have any of these complicated factors to it. I thought all of that would be left behind in the afterlife! I didn't ask for any of this.. I just wanted to move on to that _heaven_ where my brother and sisters would be waiting for me.. What God would be so selfish as to deny me that right...?


	4. Yuri 3: Nostalgia Beckons

Ah, Kikuko! Can't you be a little more productive as opposed to watching TV all the time? Sister Hanako is fixing lunch for everyone and little Niwakiso is doing his homework!

"I'll have you know that I'm doing research!" little Kikuko replied without facing me. "When the aliens come and attack our neighborhood, I will be the only one among us who will know what to do!"

I guess it's to be expected since she is the second youngest next to Niwa. She lied on the carpet with her elbows on her pillow for the sake of avoiding friction burn. Her short, brown hair was tangled, and her eyes were glued to the television with an expression that was nothing short of bliss. She truly is hopeless...

"Hey, Yuri..." my brother called from his room.

Little Niwa is so cute when he is bashful, but what does he have to be bashful about in front of his sisters? I ruffled his fuzzy hair as he closed the door behind me so no one can else hear what he had to say.

He reluctantly handed me the paper he was working on. It was not homework like I thought it was, but rather, a confession letter addressed to an unfamiliar name.

"D-do you see any mistakes?" he asked.

I saw no spelling errors when I scanned the letter, but I got the impression that there was a little more room for description. If I had written a love letter, it would have been a little longer, but that does not matter. Of course the quality of the letter is much more important, so in the end, I told him he did a good job. I also recommended that he also shows Kikuko since she was a little better at reading than I was.

"No way!" Niwakiso exclaimed. "She would tell Kaya, and it would be all over!"

"Tell Kaya what?" Kikuko asked, barging in. "What's that in your hand, Yuri?"

She glanced the letter briefly before I hid it from her eyesight.

"Kaya's last name... Are you writing a letter to Kaya?" Kikuko asked excitedly.

"No, you're wrong! Leave me alone!"

"Hey, don't be like that, Niwa!" Kikuko scowled. "I can help you, you know. She is my best friend, after all. Can I please read it?"

When I saw that Niwa showed me that familiar expression that shows that he conceded, I handed the letter over. When you get right down to it, Niwakiso almost always obeyed us. We nurtured him so much when he was little, that he was always nice to us in return, with the exception of the constant arguments he and Kiku would get into.

"Hey, this letter isn't for Kaya, it's for her sister!" said Kikuko.

"That's what I was trying to tell you..." Niwa fidgeted.

"What's so good about her? All she does is play the piano and video games very well and pass out all over the place. That's kind of boring if you-"

"Stop it!" Niwa shouted with a good trace of anger. "You don't even know her!"

"Bah. I know enough from what Kaya says. Your _precious love_ isn't as innocent as she looks."

Niwakiso looked as if he was ready to snap. I will have to stop them if they go too far. Maybe I should let Niwa get at least one attack in before I...

"That's mean, Kiku!" cried Hanako, who snuck in the room unnoticed. "That girl has had heart problems since she was really little! Let's see... I think it's called _bradycardia?_ Anyways... you should be a little more considerate when you talk about people."

Hanako is the least likely to get into an argument out of the four of us. She takes after our mother in several ways such as her fondness for cooking and the long amounts of times she spends tending to her long, red hair. At first glance, anyone would be convinced that Hanako is the most mature out of all of us, but the truth is that she is just good at hiding how dense she really is. In fact, little Niwa went through a phase where he had a crush on Hanako that I doubt she understood that even now.

"I know all that," Kikuko continued. "I'm just saying that kind of girl is more likely to break your heart than anything else. If Niwa wants to go for someone that would return his feeling, his best bet is-"

Kikuko's rant was cut off by a loud thud. The sound came from the kitchen door that needed to be replaced. Did it fall again..? No.. the footsteps heard soon after was a dead giveaway that one or more persons was inside the house aside from us. One of them bounded into the living room and peered directly at us with a terrifying grin.

"Why hello, there.."

* * *

...

I cannot even remember the last time I had a dream that vivid about my siblings. That dream was most definitely a recollection of the last day I interacted with them.

...

Several years ago, I lived there. I am here now. The bleakness of the room made me uneasy. I was ready to feel the colors of daylight please my eyes all too soon.

It was already the afternoon. Apparently, I overslept due to how everything that happened last night drained me. Being sent back to Japan right after purgatory, a nightmare world with blue giants... One crazy life after the other is so stressful! Why can't I ever catch a break?

Nagato must have left for school already. I wonder if she tried to wake me up? I at least think I am a fairly light sleeper. Anyways, I would risk going insane if I stayed here the whole time. With that thought, I locked myself out and tried to find something to do.

My habit of wandering developed when I got myself out of the long depression spell I had since that dreadful day. I figured that if I could not find a reason to live, I would have to go out and find one. I lived with that mindset until I left the mortal coil for the first time. I wandered my initial days in purgatory alone until I found the many allies that I would stick with until the end. The only way to find things is by searching, and it would seem that there are several mysteries to find here.

If there was one thing I was never good at, it would have to be backtracking. Not only do I not remember how to get back to Nagato's bare apartment, but I find myself unable to remember the location of that house where I met that strange boy. The afternoon heat must be getting to me. I must find shelter... not like that's hard... there are plenty of stores around me. I just have to pick one and hope the owners do not start to get suspicious. I chose the Hobby Decor Shack store that drew me in because of China on the front window that were nearly identical to the ones my family had.

A lot of these patterns would have suited Yuki's home as opposed to nothing. If I would be here for a while, maybe I could think of some ways to gather money so I could help her decorate. Is she even into this sort of thing? She has to be, right?

This tea set just has to be the ones my family owned! I remember when I tried to replicate the sakura designs with paint; it turned out looking miserable.

"Ah, this brand is finally back in stock!" exclaimed a pretty girl that was observing the same kettle I was. "It's pretty, isn't it?"

Something was familiar about her... Oh I see, that uniform she is wearing is the same kind that my strange roommate wears. There was a distinct elegance about this girl. She looked as innocent as a flower and her positive radiation went to extremes. Although she was shorter than me by about ten centimeters, her chest size seemed to surpass mine by the same length...

When we made eye contact, her curious face looked as adorable as a mouse who just caught a whiff of cheese.

"Oh, I'm sorry! It was impolite of me to stare!" the girl apologized needlessly. "It's just that... you slightly resemble someone I know."

The pattern was starting to get familiar. First, that boy Kyon grabbed me on our first encounter and even that Koizumi superhuman admitted to have mistaken me for the same person after that bleak universe dissipated. Is this one also reminded of that girl? _Haruhi Suzumiya?_

"Y-Yes!" the girl yelped. "I take it you know her?"

"I never seen the girl myself, but she seems to be all that the guys around here talk about. What kind of person is she anyways?"

"Ah..." she stammered. "I have to start heading back to the after-school club that I am a part of. You are welcome to come with me if you are not busy."

It was almost as if it were impossible for me to refuse based on her politeness. I followed her to the register and finally properly introduced herself. She did the same by revealing her name. It was _Mikuru Asahina._

She seemed like a normal girl based on the topics of conversations we had. Just as I thought, she knows a lot about tea since she wound up buying a lot of tea leaves from the store. I could easily get along with her if I didn't feel so distracted.

I got nervous as we approached North High. However, Asahina assured me that the campus was relatively friendly, even to outsiders. We made our way into the Literature Hall. Does Asahina like to read books? Just when I started to wonder, the bibliomaniac who I spent the night with yesterday stood in front of us; she stood in our path as if she was blocking it.

"It is forbidden," Nagato stated bluntly.

"N-nagato..? But I was... advised to bring her here..."

"Then there is conflict," said Nagato.

I got the impression that the two of them are a part of the same club and what they were talking about things related to it. Maybe there is a private meeting I shouldn't be sticking my nose into? More importantly, what did Asahina mean when she said she was _advised?_

Just then, two guys walked out of the door just ahead of us. So this is what the school outfit for males look like. Wait... those two are Kyon and Koizumi!

"Yuri!" shouted Kyon. "What are you doing here?"

"I was invited by Asahina. Is it really that much of a problem?"

"Hey, what's going on out there?" shouted a girl from the door the boys came out of.

Kyon glanced inside and suddenly darted in my direction, grabbing me by the wrist and carrying me the other way.

"Ah! Kyon?" Asahina cried, sounding completely baffled.

He carried me out of the doors to the hall that we just entered. I could have resisted at any time, but I subconsciously decided to obey. I really am not used to playing the submissive role... Kyon panted and tried to catch his breath. We only ran about thirty yards. Is he out of breath already?

"Did Asahina bring you here?" he asked abruptly.

"She did."

"I'm sorry, but can you please wait outside the building for about a half an hour?" Kyon requested. "The club is almost done for today.."

"Is it really that much of a problem for me to stick around inside for that short period of time? What's the big deal?"

"I will explain later, but this is really important," he said.

And with that, he went back inside while saying, "I'm sorry, Yuri."

I did as he said while trying to rationalize why he acted that way. If that Koizumi character was part of the club, then maybe the place was some kind of dangerous. Maybe the club Asahina spoke of means the Superhero Organization Society Brigade... or something...? No way, that's completely redundant!


	5. Kyon 2: The Testimony & the Verdict

Haruhi left the clubroom first due to some business she did not feel like specifying. Before she left, Haruhi ordered me to return the software CD she borrowed from the Computer Club that was only next door. Koizumi decided to follow me to complete the task. The room was vacant and yet the door was recklessly ajar.

"So I see you too have become acquainted with Miss Nakamura," said Koizumi.

There was something about the way he said that in addition to this annoying signature smile that made me tense my muscles. When and where did Koizumi meet Yurippe?

He smirks wryly before answering, "Our first encounter was last night in a Closed Space of all the most unlikely of places. Not only was she allowed to enter on her own free will, but her presence there turned out to be far more beneficial to us than it was dangerous."

Before I could beg Koizumi to clarify, he already began to describe how Yurippe's presence actually enhanced the esper's abilities more than what they were used to dealing with. I remember how Koizumi explained that the strength of the espers are highly dependent on the condition of Haruhi herself, but now Yuri adds to the equation too? That makes things more complicated than I was prepared for...

"I cannot help but wonder what kind of experiences Miss Nagato and Miss Asahina have had with this girl."

Neither one of them explained as much about their experiences as Koizumi did. The most I could convey to him was the small dispute the two of them were having in the hallway. While I was at it, I also decided to explain to Koizumi why I suspiciously ran off with Yuri before Haruhi showed up: Nagato stated that Haruhi and Yuri must never meet and Asahina made things really difficult at that time.

"There is a major influx of speculations among our community regarding Miss Nakamura," said Koizumi. "Nagato may not be far off by saying that if the two met, something is bound to happen. Some speculate that Miss Nakamura may have come to this world equipped with just as much influential abilities as Suzumiya herself. Some among us took the concept even further and considered the possibility that if the two would meet, it would ultimately create a supernatural war between Haruhi's Shinjin and an unknown race of Shinjin that could wind up becoming more than we could handle."

As scary as that idea was, I was more curious on what Koizumi himself had to say about it.

"Appearance wise, Suzumiya and Nakamura have an alarming amount of features in common. Personality wise, the two of them seem to act as differently as Yin and Yang."

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure all that out.

"Add that to the fact that both of them have a significant influence on our abilities, and it is almost indisputable that Nakamura and Suzumiya would also influence each other in some shape or form. If Nagato and her officials are completely against it and Asahina's group seems to be encouraging it, then it would appear that both factions appear to have separate motives in this scenario. Unfortunately, from the sound of things, only one of them will be able to get their motives fulfilled. On the bright side, it would be safe to assume is that the last thing either one of them would do is act upon their wishes if it were something that would go against your will."

How is that supposed to be relieving? All that means is that it's up to me to choose between the time travelers wanting to have Yuri meet Haruhi and the aliens' intention to send her off. It would help to know the consequences of each action.. Where is a Player's Guide when you need one?

"Regardless on which decision you would make," Koizumi continued. "The fair thing to do would be to fill the subject in question with as many details as you see fit."

I don't need you to tell me things like that. Yuri's future is directly involved with all of this. There is no way I would leave her in the dark.

"The call is tough," Koizumi continued. "Sending Miss Nakamura out of this dimension can be seen as either a missed opportunity or an action that may turn out to be beneficial. At any rate, think carefully and thoroughly. I will be anxiously awaiting the outcome of all of this."

It was only after I left Koizumi that I realized he did not completely answer my question on what his honest opinion was on whether or not Yuri should meet Haruhi. I doubly realized that in the end, it would not matter because at the rate things are going, I will be the one casting the deciding vote anyways. There was a decision to be made, but what kind of verdict could I reach without hearing both sides of the story?

Nagato and Asahina... I decided that I wanted to hear from both of them as I finally left the empty classroom. The former of the two startled me with her immediate presence as I turned the first corner in my search. Although it was very subtle, Nagato looked remotely surprised to see me too. She clasped a neatly wrapped rainbow polka-dotted gift box in her hands as if she were carrying a fragile puppy.

"Here," she said as she passed the box in my direction.

Is Nagato really giving a gift to me out of the blue like this?

"It is for Yuri Nakamura," she confirmed promptly after reading my puzzled expression. "The instructions are enclosed."

So this gift comes with instructions, huh? More importantly, if this is for Yuri, then why are you giving it to me?

"..."

I certainly wouldn't want to be held responsible if a jack-in-the-box came out of it and scared her half to death... of course Nagato would never do anything like that, but still...

"It is you who must administer the gift," she eventually replied.

But what is it?

"By administering the item, the coordinates of Yuri Nakamura will rerouted to the distant sector that was originally assigned to her."

I see... so it's about that. I questioned Nagato's odd statement earlier, but the logic behind it is starting to make more sense the deeper I look into it. Yurippe even said herself that she felt that she did not belong here. Whatever is in the box that Nagato gave me is likely to send her back to where she was supposed to go. But why do I have to be the one to use it? Yurippe even spent last night with Nagato. Why didn't she just use it then?

"The Data Integrated Thought Entity has predetermined that neither I nor any relative units will be capable of completing the task."

I have no idea how I could accomplish anything that Nagato or any other alien cannot. Just as I was about to ask why, the last school bell purged the question out of my system. Nagato started to walk away, but I was not completely satisfied yet. I had to know, one way or the other, what exactly were we accomplishing by not having Haruhi meet Yuri.

"The universal structure as we know it is highly likely to go through exponential changes," she replied.

"Exponential changes can vary anywhere from the universe becoming destroyed and everything changing for the better. How can I know for sure this is something that definitely should not happen?"

"All I can say now is that you have two choices before you," she continued. "Our procedures will ensure that this universe will maintain its natural course. The procedures of Mikuru Asahina will be very likely to send the stability of this universe off-tangent."

I could hardly call this universe _stable _to begin with, but I am starting to understand. In this case, Yurippe seems to be some sort of key that could possibly unlock a hidden potential to this already potential setting. Whether or not the contents would lead to a pot of gold or a grand curse equivalent to Pandora's blunder... remains undefined. What gives me the right to decide on something like that based on what little I know? Why can't you just tell me exactly what is at risk?

"The Data Integrated Thought Entity has decided against a one-hundred percent relay of information to you as doing so will also create gradual flaws in the universal stability."

I felt a strong sense of deja-vu just then, as if I have been a part of this conversation before, whether it was directly or in third person. Regardless, I wound up accepting Nagato's answer. _Even though I do not understand, I can understand that I am not supposed to. _At the very least, Nagato, can you tell me how you, and not your master, feels?

"..."

'The one I wanted to ask from the beginning was you, Nagato.' As I stated just that, her petite lips seemed to quiver by about two millimeters.

"The co-existence of Haruhi Suzumiya and Yuri Nakamura have been calculated to alter the variables of everyone within a large vicinity," Yuki reiterated. "The degree of the variable alterations differ among the affected individuals..."

Everything she stated seemed to be general information explained in complicated words... until she continued.

"...It has been calculated that the individual that will be the most affected... is me."

Those words stunned me. The only thing I managed to utter was her name... Yuki... can you not say more? She turned away and started to walk past me. Either I did not have enough strength left in me to push further, or I felt that it was the other way around...

I slowly stepped inside the clubroom, only recently remembering that I left most of my books inside. It was then that I remembered that I wanted to talk to Mikuru Asahina as she greeted me inside clad in her school uniform. A glass of fresh tea decorated the seat in front of her as if she were expecting me to arrive. Of course having Asahina do something like that would not be very surprising.

We made light conversation as I packed up my materials, but Asahina was obviously waiting patiently for me to get down to business. I accepted her tea and the seat across from her and struggled to find a way to begin. I highly doubt her association would be willing to tell me what would happen if Yuri met Haruhi, but hopefully, I can get some clue as to why they are so eager to have it happen?

"Well," chanted Asahina. "Simply put, it's classified information, even to me. What I do know is this. The appearance of Ms. Nakamura is not necessarily a foreseen event, but rather a potential occurrence that was said to have an extremely low chance of entering the equation. The exact ratio is classified information, but it was small enough to where no one bothered to anticipate the possibility up until this point."

I followed Asahina's words to the best of my ability, but the logic behind her words do not completely add up to me. If Asahina's association originates from the distant future, then every event between my era and theirs has to be on some sort of timeline, doesn't it? That would be like saying that I 'possibly' tripped over the sidewalk an hour ago. In binary code, a value has data that is either zero or one. If I go by what Asahina says, their association classifies Yurippe as something in-between those two numbers. My brain would melt before I could effectively interpret how crazy that sounds to me, however...

"The concept is similar a fable I overheard from a classmate of mine about the Mirage Island. The appearance of that island is said to trigger only when randomized variables in the course of time matches very specific values. These often subtle variables are unpredictable even to the knowledge of certain people who I am not authorized to describe to you."

I have already reached my tolerance limit of the word _variable_ after talking to Nagato... I appreciate your valiant efforts to explain all of this, but even with popular video game references, I don't think it's going to be possible for me at this rate. I just want to know what you think is the best for Yuri.

"I honestly cannot say for sure, but I do have a belief," Asahina replied. "I believe every individual has a purpose whether it is paving the way for the future or doing something that can be seen as trivial. To send someone off just as they arrived seems a little unwise to me."

"Maybe so, but as you said, Yuri's arrival was somewhat of a fluke. Aren't you worried that her influence would drastically change something?"

"In all honesty, I am," admitted Mikuru. "However, by bringing Ms. Nakamura to you at that time, I have already taken care of what I needed to do. What goes on from this point is up to what you feel is best."

"Wait, what do you mean by that? Wasn't your objective to unite Haruhi with Yuri?"

She twisted her lips with an adorable, yet sneaky smile and replied, "I'm sorry, Kyon, but that's classified."

If Asahina was not trying to have Haruhi meet Yuri, that would mean that it truly did not matter to Asahina whether or not it even happened. If that's the case, then was there ever really a conflict within anyone? After parting with Asahina and heading outside the school, I miserably failed to piece everything together. I really need to rest on this.

I looked around the general area where I asked Yurippe to meet me, but she was nowhere to be found. Just when I started to wonder, a sharp slap on the back jolted me out of the door.

"Hey, Kyon! You sure took your sweet time!"

The sharp pain was still there, but I forced myself to suck it up. Yuri looked more cheerful than one would expect after suddenly telling her to leave without explaining anything.

"Anyways I decided that staying with Nagato just won't work out. She's a good person, but she seems like the type that is not comfortable around strangers, you know what I- hey, that's a pretty box!"

I apologized to Yuri about what I did earlier even though she made like she has forgotten all about it. I wonder about that. They say that girls have a greater tendency to hold grudges after all...

"I had no idea what you were thinking back then, but whatever it was, I felt that you had to have a good reason," Yuri replied. "I decided to trust you, so better not betray me or you will wish for a death penalty after I'm done with you!"

I could not help but chuckle at the twist to a phrase that I was all too used to hearing. I assured her by telling her that the idea of me betraying her was as unlikely as finding a lolicon in a retirement home.

I decided that this time, I would put forth the extra effort to try and convince my parents to have Yurippe stay over for at least one night. The successful excuse we used was that Yuri accidentally forgot her key and locked herself out of the house on her way to school, and her parents would not come back home until tomorrow morning. My sister somehow convinced herself that Yuri certainly looked accident prone. As for the excuse to take her into my room, I decided to use the dated _homework tutor_ claim.

Of course the true reason was so the both of us could look at Nagato's _gift_ together. I hesitated when I asked myself 'will Yuri be sent away as soon as I opened it?' but then I remembered that Nagato distinctly said that there were instructions involved, so I opened it without further delay.

... not again...

This gun was nearly twice as large as what was handed to me on that Tanabata night. It looked like a miniature, modern megaphone, with a sleek build and an electric blue color scheme. Just by looking at it and what Nagato said earlier, I figured out what I was supposed to do. _In order to send Yurippe back to where she belongs, I must fire this at her._

"So taking me to where I belong is just as simple as this?" she asked while examining the gun. "I see. So you can get these types of things from the Internet?"

Even more incredible than this weapon is how Yuri does not even seem the slightest bit fazed at the idea of being shot with this weird contraption... I mean is she really okay with-

"Hey, Kyon! Have you seen our cat, Shammy?" my sister said, barging in.

I shoved the gun back into the bag at the last millisecond. Yuri and I were fixated on my sister's presence and vice-versa. From her perspective, the both of us were sitting on our bed awfully close to each other. We didn't even bother to lay out any books for a cover! Incoming misconception in 5...4...3...2...

"Nyan-nyan! Nyan-nyan Restaurant! Gorgeous, Tasty, Autistic food we flaunt!" my sister danced.

1...?

I chucked one of my pillows at the wannabe _Ranka Lee_ while informing her that the correct word is 'authentic.' She giggled and trotted out the room as if she didn't have a care in the world. Yuri laughed.

"You sure have a cute sister," she said.

I promptly dismissed the compliment and returned to the topic at hand. Is Yuri ready to go back to where she is supposed to go?

"I really do want to move on," she said. "This isn't the place for me. Although everyone I met here is nice, the only thing I would really want to do here is kick God's ass for screwing with me."

Imagining that scenario brought out chuckles from the both of us. I joked back saying to her that maybe I could do it on her behalf some day.

"That would be nice," said Yuri. "But first you actually have to _know_ who God is."

I smirked at that statement. There were a few things I could tell her right here and now, but of course if I did that it would mean... wait, _why can't I tell her?_ If Yurippe is going to be leaving this forsaken universe after all of this, what harm could it do? And personally, I am not particularly in a hurry to send her off. After all, it will probably be a long time before I have a conversation with anyone who is not confusing by nature again. With that thought, I've decided. Prepare yourself, Yurippe!

...

Haruhi Suzumiya was the topic of my first sentence for obvious reasons; her outlandish thought patterns have proven to be the centre of this world's oddities. There was no point in stopping just with her. Seeing that she already met Koizumi, Nagato & Asahina, I might as well throw in their true identities in the process.

Before I realized it, I wound up telling her everything I knew about my former classmate, Ryoko Asakura, in a light tone as if it were not a painful memory for me. This must have been because Yuri's attentive gaze reminded me of how unbelievable stories used to completely fascinate me when I was a child. Just observing her changing expressions as I got to the good parts drove me to dig as deep as I could. For once, I was the storyteller, and it felt _much_ better than I anticipated.

Eventually, I found a stopping point. A part of me believed that I got carried away, but Yuri did not seem the slightest bit bored. She made several comments and asked several questions, and she looked as if she had a lot more to ask.

"Maybe the place I will end up after this is over will be as interesting as this," she said reminding me that soon enough, Yurippe will no longer be here. "I really would want to meet this Haruhi person. The two of you seem like very good friends but... If this world really is unstable as you say, an outsider like me might just mess things up..."

She convinced herself with her justification, but I detected a hint of disappointment - and not only in Yurippe. It was then that I recalled what everyone said about the situation.

_"To send someone off just as they arrived sounds a little unwise to me... I believe every individual has a purpose..."_

When I think about it, Mikuru was reluctantly supportive of having Yuri stay.

_"Yuri Nakamura and Haruhi Suzumiya must never meet... It is believed that the co-existence of the two creates a high risk of an unwanted cataclysm."_

Would it kill to clarify things just a little more? What exactly makes the cataclysm unwanted? Although from what Koizumi was saying, I was starting to get the picture...

_"Some speculate that if the two would meet, it would ultimately create a supernatural war... it is almost indisputable that Nakamura and Suzumiya would influence each other in some shape or form."_

A conflict is difficult when both sides of the argument make a lot of sense... but if everyone is expecting me to take responsibility, that means that I have the right to decide. If it is up to me, then I will just have to do things my way.

... So be it.

I kept Yurippe waiting long enough. With that thought in mind, I picked up the assumably pre-loaded gun and pointed it in her direction...

* * *

The next day whizzed by so quickly that before I knew it, the school day was over and I was heading towards my shoe locker to prepare for the next meeting of the SOS Brigade. I promised a friend of mine that we would meet there after school for a few moments. We made brief chat and quickly went on about our business.

I made moderate haste to the club room with a mild sense of enthusiasm. My biorhythm chart must have been high on the emotions parameter today. I knocked on the door just to make sure Mikuru wasn't changing.

"You may enter!" shouted Haruhi.

The moment I entered, I realized that I was the last member to arrive, which was to be expected because of the detour I took. Everyone's eyes was focused in my direction as their form of a greeting. Koizumi's smile was equipped with open eyes, making it feel more genuine. Mikuru seemed as cheerful as usual, Nagato looked as stoic as usual, and Haruhi... well... there is nothing ever usual about her. However, my attention was focused on Nagato, who needed a certain box returned to her. Thank you Nagato. The item has proven to be effective in my decision, and I don't think I will be needing it anymore.

She hesitated before relieving me from the concealed weapon while nearly whispering, "I see..."

* * *

_Author's Note:_

_The mention of deja-vu was a reference to the Haruhi anime's episode 00. Most of the conversation in question was a variation of a seemingly pointless conversation between Koizumi & Nagato. And of course 'Mirage Island' is a reference to Pokemon Ruby/Sapphire._


	6. Yuri 4: I am Here

After everything that went on yesterday, I am now here. I burrowed my head in the warm cotton material that became available to me as I reached the destination. The low pitches began to hum and send subtle vibrations to my forehead; they mildly relaxed me as I uselessly wondered what would happen beyond this point.

My anxiety heightened when I realized the barrier between what is safe and what is unknown was about to be released. It was like a shuttle door that would soon open and display the moon before my very eyes. The _gateway_ proceeded inwards, and what lied ahead came into view.

"Thank you Nagato," he said. "This item has proven to be effective in my decision, and I don't think I will be needing it anymore."

The only unfamiliar face in the room was... Wait, why is Mikuru dressed like a maid...? The way it suits her is unbelievable! I absolutely **have** to go shopping with her some day...

"Hey, Kyon. Who is that behind you?" said the girl that I should have been paying attention to from the beginning.

Kyon wore a small smile before continuing, "If you are still taking applications, this girl has displayed a significant interest."

She walked up to me as Kyon was saying his sentence. The way she was completely focused on me made it seem like she did not pay any attention to what Kyon was saying.

Even though no introductions were given at this point, there was no doubt that I was looking at Haruhi Suzumiya for the first time. The interesting face she wore reminded me of the old, humorous VCR tape of me being bitten by a baby kimodo dragon that I tried to pet at a zoo. Haruhi looked as though she was about to poke me to see if I was real.

"We never met before," Haruhi concluded. "Are you a transfer student?"

"I do not even go to this school."

"Oh really?" Haruhi responded. "How did you hear about us then?"

"You're pretty popular, so there was more than one source."

"Is that why you wanted to join?" Haruhi asked while squinting.

"No. The objectives you have pique my interest."

I took note that everyone's attention was currently focused on me. Even Nagato decided to pause on the book that she was reading. Kyon seemed surprised for some reason.

"Are you Kyon's girlfriend?" she asked while shifting her focus to him.

"What if I am?"

I had only decided to play ambiguous because the question seemed irrelevant to the topic at hand. Mikuru seemed very stunned at my approach while Koizumi looked as if he was enjoying the show. I decided not to look in Kyon's direction just because.

"Oh, I'm just saying just in case," Haruhi continued with a mischievous grin. "The SOS Brigade isn't about fun and games. If you're the type that likes to mess around and chat about nothing all day, then I'm afraid you've come to the wrong place."

"I can be pretty active when properly motivated."

"That is what she said," Nagato stated causing everyone to look in her direction.

She then revealed the spine of the small paperback she was reading while uttering, "Joke book."

There was something about her delivery that made it feel like Nagato did not fully understand the concept of the word 'joke'. Koizumi, the only other person who seemed amused, buried his head on the desk to stifle his urge to laugh. Mikuru looked like she was about to faint, Kyon still seemed to be analyzing Nagato, and Haruhi simply raised an eyebrow.

"What is your name?" she asked.

I supplied my name shortly after realizing it has yet to be mentioned. Haruhi responded by introducing everyone: Mikuru is the club's mascot, Koizumi is the vice-chief, Nagato is a former Literature Club member that decided to convert (although Kyon seemed to want to dispute that,) and Kyon is apparently the Errand Boy.

"Anyways, you're in luck!" Haruhi continued seamlessly. "Even though five members is all that is required to create a club, I was wanting at least one additional member for quite a while. But that doesn't mean that everything is set in stone just yet. Yuri Nakamura, you are now hereby a provisional member of the SOS Brigade. You have at most one week from today to prove to all of us that you have what it takes to be SOS Brigade material. If either one of us feels that you are not qualified before I give my final word, then that's that. Got it?"

Even though what she was saying was obviously serious, Haruhi looked as ecstatic as a kid in a candy store. I slightly understood why everyone had mistaken me for Haruhi. We are almost the same height and composition, our hair was just about the same length, and the way we tied our ribbons were somewhat similar. Aside from that she was not as much of an _unidentical twin_ as I was imagining. On another note, I could not figure out why it was so easy to talk to her for the lives of me. I felt as if I dealt with her type before, but I could not exactly put my finger on it.

Haruhi decided to go lightly on the club activities since there were no major plans on schedule. Since that was the case, I decided to take up on Koizumi's Chinese Checkers invitation with him and Kyon. Mikuru vacated her seat for me so she could tend to the warm tea.

"I must say it is nice to see you again, Miss Nakamura," said Koizumi. "Somehow, I had the feeling that this event was going to occur. After a decent amount of time being acquainted with Kyon, I find myself becoming more capable of predicting his thought processes."

"How difficult do you think it was, then?" Kyon asked.

"I would assume very," Koizumi replied. "In the majority of previous cases, Nagato's knowledge on several aspects have come in handy. When you have someone with access to greater knowledge than anyone can fathom, it would sound as if there is no reason to go against her advice on anything. However, the fact of the matter is that her knowledge is only as vast as a computer with Internet connection."

"Isn't that a huge source of info?" I inputted.

"That is very true, but in this case, you will have to take what I previously stated very carefully," Koizumi replied. "When a user acquires info from the Internet, the information that is acquired is limited to the parameters that the users wish to research with the exception of pop-ups. What one would learn on a daily basis of browsing is nowhere near a plausible fraction of what we are capable of learning."

"You talked about users just now, but if you referred to Nagato as a _computer _with that type of access, what is that supposed to mean?" Kyon asked.

"You are on the right track," Koizumi answered. "The role of the computer in this case is to relay the information from a website to the user. Text, music, videos, various applications... All of those types of files are forms of data that we utilize in one way or another. To the computer itself, the data is merely an item that has a specific file size."

"I will have to disagree."

"Oh?" Koizumi replied. "Why is that?"

"A computer personally does not have a use for the data that we use as you said, but if your metaphor is true, then what would be the point of reading a book if the words will not mean anything to anyone?"

Koizumi nodded in approval of my question while replying, "That is a very good point. Let me put it this way. What happens to a PC when it has taken no actions for a set amount of time?"

"The monitor would go into a screen-saver, right?"

"That is correct," Koizumi answered. "Most PCs give you a selection of screen-savers from ones that are very simple and others that seem much more complex. The most basic screen-saver would be in the form of a blank screen that displays nothing. If I may go back to the metaphor, it would be the equivalent of Nagato passing out and going to sleep. The emulation of reading effectively paints a better picture of a personality and would lead many to believe that she has a large fascination in books."

Kyon remained quiet while looking slightly annoyed. Even with Nagato's stoic demeanor and her origin, saying that she is completely lifeless is going a little too far. Although I cannot prove it myself, she just has to have emotions and desires. Being void of things like that is perfection in a way; no matter how I see it, Nagato does not seem to fit that description. Instead of convincing me to see things his way, it only seemed to urge me to apologize to Nagato. Because of me, I've troubled her and Kyon had to go back on her request. I could not fully interpret how bad I felt, but Nagato seemed to roughly understand.

"It is okay," said Nagato.

"That may be so, but will you be okay?"

She shifted her attention from the book to me before saying, "It is possible."

* * *

**Yesterday Evening**

My eyes were fixated on the barrel of the strange gun. When it is over so will this life that extended longer than natural. I will finally be able to rest... but is this what I really want?

"Hold still for a moment," Kyon directed.

I closed my eyes as I decided not to watch Kyon pull the trigger. Even when I'm just imagining that scenario, I reflexively wince. I felt the bed sink slightly and I adjusted my balance accordingly. Why are you getting closer? Your aim can't be that horrible.. The room temperature seem to rise about two degrees all of a sudden. Is that his body heat? What is he trying to... no... is he going to... _No way, he isn't like that! _I told myself, but fallacy of that belief is the fact that these kinds of behaviors were completely normal. But Kyon... if you'll do this now, I'll...

When I felt his three centermost fingers gently press on the top of my neck, I couldn't keep my eyes closed anymore. The gun was in his other hand, but it was now pointed away from me with his stern face replacing where the gun was. I was at a loss for words. Was I really going to let him have his way?

"You seem doubtful about this," he said in monotone. "Your heartbeat is above average,"

"Of course it's beating fast, you dummy! First off, you made me nervous just now! And who would be completely calm at gunpoint?"

"That's true," Kyon said softly.

"And what about you, Mr. Tough Guy? You don't look so calm yourself. What kind of pulse do you have? I knew it! Your heartbeat is just as fast as mine!"

We had to be thinking the same thought when we held our taller fingers underneath each each others' faces. We became addicted to the rhythm of our heartbeats. At the same time, we both had to be wondering how often do two pulses throb completely in sync like it is now..

"Risky or not," Kyon started. "Doing this will take some mental preparation."

"Risky..?"

Kyon's eyes wandered around as he continued, "Right now not even Asahina, who came from the future, knew you would come here for sure. Because of that, Nagato think it's a mistake that should be erased ASAP and Asahina disagrees."

That would explain that strange conversation from before. If that voice from inside was Haruhi Suzumiya, Nagato was afraid of how I would influence the future of this place. But if that's true, why is Mikuru less worried than she is? This is...

"Confusing?" Kyon inserted with a chuckle. "Welcome to my world."

His thumb that previously felt my pulse stroked my cheek, reminding me how I always let my guard down in front of him. Even on the first day we met, I clinged to him as if we were close friends. Why does he make me feel... so comfortable?

"Of course, based on what you said before, your past life wasn't exactly average either," said Kyon. "Isn't this the second or third universe that you've been a part of? It has to be tiring to shift from one place to the other all the time... As a matter of fact, it sounds depressing."

Does this guy enjoy trying to make me cry...? Regardless, Kyon hit the nail on the head. I was hoping that when I parted with Hinata, Otonashi, Kanade, and the others, that it would be the end of an era and the start of another. Is that what will happen to me if I leave now? Will I finally be free from this disgusting mind of mine?

"If you do decide to stay, please promise me one thing, Yuri."

That's right... staying here really _is_ an option...

"Promise me that one day you will tell me or someone you trust as much as you can about yourself," he continued. "It would be troublesome if there is no one else in this world that does not share the same memories as you do."

"Don't say weird things like that! It's hard enough making up my mind!" I shouted before I opened my eyes and realized that I was furiously shaking Kyon by the shoulders.

"So you really are unsure as to what you want to do," Kyon replied in mild triumph.

"That's... only because..."

Despite the circumstances that brought me here, this complex universe is somewhat a relief compared to where I have been. The quirky people I met so far were just as kind as they were strange. Even Kyon, who is by my side right now... I just got here! It's too soon to part... like this.

"I guess there is only one logical choice then," he breathed in my long silence. "Besides, Haruhi would never forgive me if I got rid of the first slider that showed up."

Kyon began to answer the question I was only beginning to ask. A slider was apparently a term that describes an individual that has the ability to travel from one existing universe to another. In addition, Haruhi's public declaration specified that she was interested in sliders, along with time-travelers, aliens, and espers.

While that somewhat fits my description, it's not like I am able to control it! Why does he have to lump me together with people that are truly unique? But then again, if I accepted that perspective, it would feel like there was somewhere I belong for the first time in ages...

* * *

_Well, there was one definite OOC moment here, and a good bit of it was inspired by the lighthearted fiction: 'Serendipity' by xxfirebubblesxx chapter 9._


	7. Kyon 3: Fail in HD

For some reason, when Yuri and Haruhi laid eyes on each other for the first time, I took note of the exact time that it happened; it was 3:12 PM. Exactly twenty-four hours have passed since then, and so far nothing undeniably catastrophic has occurred unless you count the absurd ideas Yuri has given Haruhi yesterday. To elaborate on that further, the simple and pointless citywide searches we tend to conduct may eventually be replaced by much more complicated and embarrassing activities. Maybe our imminent doom really is underway and I cannot even begin to predict how tragic it will be...

Luckily for all of us, today might not turn out to be so bad; it will be pointless, but I have seen worse. Because of Yuri's needlessly high curiosity in our abomination of a Film Festival entry, Haruhi near immediately decided to take a field trip to show the movie to her in high definition. Because all of our school's monitors, TVs, and projectors were incapable of the _full effect_, the extended SOS Brigade is now sitting inside of the Tsuruya family limousine, with Tsuruya's personal home theater as the destination.

"Ha ha ha! It's been almost two months since I seen this movie, last!" Tsuruya laughed excitedly.

The movie was produced somewhere around eight months ago. Why would you watch it without being forced to?

"I heard you were in it," said Yuri. "How big was your role?"

As their idle chat continued, Nagato continued to absorb herself in the same joke book that she was reading yesterday. Is Nagato planning on becoming a comic relief? If so, her timing could use some tweaking. I could have sworn I felt the world around us becoming more unstable the more Haruhi talked, but based on how Koizumi was acting back then, it may have been just me. Even now, as she sat across from me, she stole glances at me with the frequency of a _Boo. _Somehow I turned out sitting in-between Nagato and Yurippe, and the latter decided to lean on me as she mingled with our junior host. A sharp left turn on our route reversed this fact, and Nagato continued to read without the slightest indication of being interrupted. Haruhi stared at me without relenting that time. I had the urge to push her buttons further by asking something in the lines of _'What, do you want to switch seats with Yuki or something?' _but my statistic points on guts were not nearly as high as Yurippe's.

Tsuruya's home theater must have had enough seats for everyone in her extended family and the extended family of her possible future spouse! She might as well have gotten a license to air movies publicly and make a business out of it!

"Okay! Alls I got to do is find the DVD and pop it in!" said Tsuruya as she flipped the switch to the projector. "Oh, did I leave the computer on this morning?"

"It looks like it," said Yuri as she nudged the nearby mouse. "Ah it is... eh?"

The monitor fed the computer activity to the projector... and the projector displayed one of the most amazing images I probably would ever see! Tsuruya hurriedly shut off the projector before I could fully register what I just witnessed. It was Mikuru in revealing cosplay that strongly resembled _Ulala,_ but I missed the expression! The expression is the most important part!

"Hey, Tsuru-" I began before my right cheek was stretched to the point of uselessness.

"And just what are you planning on asking, Kyon?" shouted Haruhi, maintaining her grip.

"There are some times where you should just keep your mouth shut!" added Yuri while stretching the other cheek.

You two may have won the battle today girls, but if my Mikuru folder has a rival, I will **not **drop the matter forever! At any rate, poor Tsuruya was so nervous, she dropped the DVD as soon as she popped it out of the case all while her 'amused' laugh sounded more 'bemused'. As a fellow Asahina fanatic, I completely understand her plight but I will have to save cheering her up for later.

Without further ado, the movie began starting with the opening theme song that was composed in General MIDI. Before long, Yuri began to hum a portion of the first verse.

"Ah, this song sounds familiar," said Yuri. "Where did it come from?"

"You're going to have to ask Mikuru," Haruhi replied. "The lyrics and composition were both provided by her."

"Ah. w-well," Mikuru began. "The melody is something I made up a long time ago. The original song is actually sort of a lullaby with different lyrics and a slower tempo."

Yuri seemed very fascinated at that statement. I never bothered to ask where the song came from as I assumed that Haruhi just downloaded a random song off the Internet and pasted random words to it. I wish I knew what was going on in Yuri's mind right now. She looked as if she was completely into the movie before it even began. Of course, asking would work too...

"T-this song is..." Yuri stuttered. "It's nothing."

Before long, Yuri wore the expression she should have worn from the beginning... utter confusion. A plot where the main protagonist is a Bunny Girl slash Battle Waitress from the future is just about as random as it gets after all. Koizumi excused himself due to a supposed phone call that I did not hear at all. I suppose even an easygoing esper has his limits. Maybe I should cook up an excuse next...

"A witch versus a waitress!" Yuri blurted as the next scene began without warning.

"Don't read into it too deeply, Yurippe..."

"It gets better," Haruhi gloated. "This is one of the highlights!"

If by highlights, you mean... well, actually she's right. This was by far the most memorable scene in the entire movie, and not because any of it was good either. Not only did this scene take an endless amount of takes, but the end result was one of several of my near death experiences. If the _Mikuru Beam_ had hit me then and there, it would have been fatal, but most likely painless.

_"I-in that case, I'll have to use my secret weapon!"_ the Battle Waitress shouted as she discarded her dual pistols.

"No way..." said Yuri, who seemed completely immersed.

And then the line came, _"Mi-mi-Mikuru Beam!"_

Watching Yuri's reaction to this film was far more entertaining than the flick itself. She went into shock as if she were in the situation. Even Yuki was observing her over exaggerations from the seat above her.

"I-I-impossible..." Yuri trembled. "You guys are..."

This is starting to look bad. Yuri began to hyperventilate and her eyes were as wide as possible. I always knew the film was terrible, but I didn't think anything like this could happen!

"Yurippe...! Yuri! Calm down! Stop the movie, Yuri's seen enough!"

I rushed to her to get a closer examination. She broke out in cold sweats, and she limped in her seat as if her energy was sucked dry.

"Yuri, can you hear me?"

I held her head up to my level, listening carefully for response that she struggled to get out. Everyone but Nagato got out of their seats to join me.

"Ni...wa..." was all she managed to say before her consciousness gave out.

* * *

_Author's Note:_

_'Boo' is a reference to a ghost species in the Super Mario series. 'Ulala' is the main character in "Space Channel 5."_


	8. Yuri 5: The Siblings I Once Had

"On the surface, the hero has a day job at a restaurant or something, but it's just a cover for her true identity! She really goes around and beats up bad guys!"

Sister Kikuko continued to rant on about what she written on a bunch of papers with a chunk of enthusiasm. She was so excited, I decided to listen to her ideas. As expected, most of them were heavily influenced by the morning anime she watched a couple of hours ago. Kikuko really is hopeless...

"And then she has a guy that she likes and then she tries to protect him and she uses guns and heat vision and stuff..." Kikuko continued.

"What kind of combination... Wait, the girl saves the guy? That sounds backwards."

"That's the point!" Kikuko shouted. "Duh! If it is the same as everything else then there would be no reason to watch it! Anyways the main bad guy will be like the Wicked Witch from _The Wizard of Oz_ only cuter because she will be the hero's rival in both combat and love!"

"You mean the same person will harass the hero in her normal life _and_ her hero life? Why can't it be two different people?"

"Because the production value will be higher if I have more cast members than I need!" Kikuko answered.

If there was one admirable thing about Kikuko, when she plans, she plans ahead. Because of that, her grades are really high even though it is really hard to catch her doing homework.

"Anyways, Hanako should play as the hero!" Kikuko added. "As for the witch, that can be either me or my friend, Kaya if she wants it. Ah, I'll ask her now!"

She rushed to throw on her sandals and go outside. I failed to understand what the point of all that was. She sure didn't act like she was looking for constructive criticism. At any rate, a big sister should always hear what their siblings have to say. With that thought in mind, I shifted to the living room where Hanako had begun to adjust her piano seat and little Niwa lied down on the couch to listen.

"I am still practicing this piece, so I might not do very well," said Hanako as she searched through her sheet music.

"I'm sure you'll do great!" said little Niwa. "It is your song after all."

Hanako's piano instructor asked her to write a medium length single melody. Her instructor added chords and additional notes to it before giving it back to her. She was then told to try her best to master the modified piece. The instructor believed that it is more fun to practice on things that you made yourself. Hanako has practiced hard for the past three days, and the fruits of her work showed just then. If she made a mistake anywhere during the practice, I could not distinguish what they were. I clapped softly in Niwakiso's place, since he slowly drifted off during the performance. Hanako and I teamed up to cover him up in his favorite blanket.

After watching our brother develop a smile in his slumber, Hanako turned to me gracefully.

"Yuri... Excuse me, Yuri...?"

* * *

"Yuri... Excuse me, Yuri...?"

A soft palm was placed on my forehead to further pry me from my dream. I opened my eyes to witness the beautiful maiden sitting in front of me.

"You're awake," said Mikuru. "Thank goodness. Nagato, can you please let the others know?"

Nagato simply nodded and left the unfamiliar room. I found myself on a large, comfortable bed with thick covers. The lack of features gave me the impression that this must have been the guest room as opposed to Tsuruya's.

"Yuri, are you feeling any better?" Mikuru asked worriedly.

When I asked her what happened, I received the expected answer. I passed out from the shock of everything I realized simultaneously. I really _did_ come here for a reason! _They're all here._ Even though the circumstances are completely different, there is no mistaking it. The reason why I am comfortable around Kyon and the reason why I communicate with Haruhi so easily have to be related!

Kyon and Haruhi soon came in to join Mikuru by my side. The three of them stood side-by-side just like how things used to be, and now that I completely understood, I felt like I was going to lose it again.

"Your face is all red even after you were as cold as ice a half-hour ago?" Haruhi observed. "Maybe we should get you to a doctor."

I told her that I will be okay. Haruhi hung her head on the bedside while she blamed herself for causing me to pass out. She thought I was the type that could not handle large amounts of excitement. Kyon and I shared a chuckle in response.

"The truth is that... seeing that movie reminded me too much of how happy I was before I lost everything..."

I got everyone curious before I had second thoughts for what I was about to do. This must have been what Nagato feared, but it was far too late to turn back now... I told the three who stood before me and the silent observer who kept her distance by the door what my life was like as a child. I was the oldest child out of four. Hanako, Kikuko and I were named after flowers, and Niwakiso means the 'foundation of a great garden'. Our neighborhood was not particularly prone to crime, but such things are possible just about anywhere. Our house was broken into one day, and I failed to do what they wanted. As punishment, the burglars killed my siblings one at a time. First they took little Niwa, and then Kikuko. If I hadn't blacked out then, I probably would have also been killed. It was only after the police woke me up that I confirmed that they had taken Hanako's life too.

I tend to avoid telling my life story because I do not seek pity, but this exception was truly unique. Part of me wanted to see how they would react. Another part of me wanted them to remember. Asahina sobbed with watery eyes, Kyon seemed disturbed yet calm, and Haruhi turned out to be the most visibly upset.

"That's not the whole story is it?" Haruhi interrogated. "Are you still living with your parents?"

"Don't you think you're getting too personal?" Kyon asked Haruhi in defense.

I felt that Haruhi had a right to know, but Kyon may have been worried about me telling her the whole story that would exceed the natural borderline. Because of that, I had to mesh factors together into a semi-truth:

After separating from my parents, I wandered the many cities of Japan looking for a new purpose in life. I once founded a group called SSS that was a group of rebels that had their own tragedies and fought to find a new meaning with me. Eventually, we disbanded after a while and I was on my own again. Some time later I found out about the S.O.S. Brigade and conducted some investigations starting with Kyon and eventually, everyone else.

"You definitely have the spirit of a leader," Haruhi said in a mellow tone. "But no matter how you look at it, you will need a place to call home. Embarrassingly enough, there is not much that I can do in that department, so we will have to leave that to Mikuru."

"Eh..?" squeaked Mikuru as she glanced at Haruhi then back to me. "Y-yes... That can be arranged."

Haruhi gave a sigh of relief before continuing, "Now that that's taken care of, the only other pressing matter is your provisional-"

Tsuruya stepped in before Haruhi finished and said "Hey guys, sorry to interrupt, but dinner is ready. Just let me know when you guys are."

"All right," Haruhi said solemnly. "Everyone, wait outside for me. Kyon, I need a moment with you."

The lot of us left Haruhi & Kyon behind. Tsuruya was curious as to what happened. I decided to tell her that a lack of food may have been the cause of it and that it was not the first time that it happened which lead to Tsuruya ensuring me that I can eat as much as I want.

In the end, it did not appear as though anyone remembered that incident, but then again, that may all be for the better. Kikuko got her wish that she blurted at the last minutes of her past life, and now they are living somewhat peacefully in their reincarnated state. I could have joined them in their bliss if I had left at the same time they did. That way, all of us could have forgotten the past together. That was so foolish of me! Why did I even think about wanting to bring them back to what things were? Even though we are no longer the family we once were, we are still friends in this world. This is what I truly wanted... right?


	9. Kyon 4: Distant Past, Uncertain Future

How did she do that? On a whim and without the proper time to rehearse, Yuri came up with a viable life story. When I re-briefed myself on the details, I could not help but wonder: How much of Yuri's autobiography was true? How much of all that did she actually go through? Come to think of it, why does nearly every girl in my life have to be neck-deep in mysteries? I cannot say that I have a problem with that, but it's still quite baffling.

Haruhi held her palm on the already closed door. She stood motionless as if she were examining the quality of the wood. Very seldom have I seen Haruhi visibly shaken up, I cannot even recall a time where she wanted to speak to me in private like this.

"Kyon, I'm only going to ask you this once, and I expect you to be honest," Haruhi demanded. "Did Yuri tell you anything about herself other than what we just heard?

"Yuri said more things here than she ever said to me personally. What's the matter, not quite buying her story?"

"No, she told the truth," Haruhi insisted in an instant. "She may have a fact or two twisted up, but it isn't her fault..."

Haruhi's voice grew softer with each syllable; she shifted her sights from my eyes to my tie before continuing. "When I was in grade school, I've had nightmares similar to what Yuri has been through. The setting of it varied from my house to my school, and once in the middle of the street. Every time, a group of strangers would take me down from behind and press a pistol against my temple. I was always alone with the exception of one witness. A girl who was older than me would always try and rescue me, only to get in the same situation. The other girl kept her eyes on me the whole time in panic. There was something I always used to say to her before the kidnapper pulled the trigger on me and waking me up, but it's been so long, that I've forgotten... As for the identity of the girl, I always assumed it to be who would have been my older sister."

"An older sister..?"

She focused at me with a narrow gaze and said, "Some odd years before my birth, my mother suffered a miscarriage. Even though it happened before even a gender could be determined, I always considered the girl in my dreams to be my unborn older sister."

As interesting as all that information was, how did the topic go all the way to that? What exactly was Haruhi trying to say to me from the beginning?

"Take care of her, Kyon," she stated out of the blue. "For whatever reason, she's obviously attached to you, and that is very rare for someone as unstable as she is."

You're the one to talk. Even if the old saying _'takes one to know one'_ would apply, I'd be willing to bet that Yuri is more stable than you will ever be. Heck, I took her as someone more collected than myself! Wait, what gave her the idea that Yuri is attached to me?

"Don't be an idiot," Haruhi scowled. "What do think Yuri called you before she passed out? I'm going to eat; maybe I'll finish before your brain processes everything I just said."

As Haruhi headed to Tsuruya's dining room, I followed her at only a quarter of her speed. What did Yuri call me a few minutes ago? I know it wasn't my name or nickname... It's on the tip of my tongue!

"Niwa," said a soothing, monotone voice.

She answered my question as if I were thinking out loud. Nagato stood in-between the doorway of the bathroom. Her existence there meant one of two things: Either aliens do have to dispose of waste like humans, or she decided to hide and wait for me to show up. Either way, we exchanged gazes for the first time all day. I still felt guilty for going against what Nagato wanted and I felt as though I let her down yet again. She did warn me that having Yuri enter the picture would cause some significant changes and so far, it is exactly as she said. Itsuki hasn't come back since that phone call, meaning that he may be _on-duty_ at this very minute.

"Is there any danger, Nagato?"

"It is uncertain," Nagato replied. "The location of Itsuki Koizumi is surrounded by an unfamiliar barricade of data that I am unable to decode from a distance."

The first thing that came to my mind was what Itsuki said about Yuri possibly being able to host a different type of Shinjin in the Espers' Closed Space. I still can't tell whether or not I made the wrong decision, but wouldn't someone have tried to stop me if it was imperative? I mean that is what I have done at least.

"I have also made several unsuccessful attempts to access additional data within the past half-hour," she continued. "The said data is password protected via the Data Integrated Thought Entity."

"What kind of data would your boss deny from you?"

She paused before answering, "The connection between Haruhi Suzumiya and Yuri Nakamura."

"I can tell you that. Haruhi is very concerned about Yuri's well being and-"

"That is not the nature of the information that I request," said Nagato. "There is a dynamic history between the two with data that exceeds human comprehension. The information is vital on a vast number of aspects. For example, if you were to become in extreme danger under the current circumstances, my reaction time to respond would be delayed by approximately four-fifths of a second on average."

I would have told her that a second does not seem like that big of a deal, but I almost immediately remembered the times where she did save me. The struggle against Ryoko and the Mikuru Beam were all close calls putting it mildly! Does Nagato's Boss want me to die now?

Just as it sounded like all hope was lost, Nagato continued, "I can decrypt the password with your cooperation."

If it is a matter of life and death, what reason is there for me to refuse? When I asked her what I had to do, her response was simply to 'be still'. She gently pressed her hand under the center of my ribcage and searched for my heartbeat. She kept it there nearly twice as long as a doctor and his/her stethoscope would before she retracted.

"Access has been approved," Nagato stated shortly afterwards. "Transmitting...data..."

The way she said that last word threw me off a bit. It was more airy than usual, and the tones between syllables did not match. Is that the result of talking while downloading at the same time? Nagato really can relate to a computer sometimes...

"This is unexpected," Nagato said after a brief, motionless pause. "The connection I was looking for is also tied to the very creation of Haruhi Suzumiya and this universe..."

Nagato's voice range went all over the place while saying that. Sometimes she sounded more human, sometimes unnaturally low and I thought I heard a double-voice in the end. Afterwards, she shot a sudden glance at me with wide eyes.

"The size of data was compressed by nearly sixty... percent," Nagato continued almost incomprehensibly. "There is data that seeks... to override what I have... currently..."

I caught Nagato as she fell forward in her process. Wait, should I have done this? Maybe Nagato's boss really did have a reason to-

Nagato went on as if unfazed, "This universe is a manifestation of a co-existing universe under the will of an individual who has departed from the co-existing universe. Reincarnations of every person remotely and closely familiar to the individual was gathered to this sector by the power of her wish. Yuri Nakamura was transferred to this sector by a combination of that wish and the reclaimed version of the individual who turns out to be Haruhi Suzumiya. You and I also fall under... the same category."

As much as I tried to comprehend what Nagato was saying, my ability to focus was decreasing the closer her face was to mine. Nagato's behavior took an unpredictable turn almost instantly after I helped her get this information, and the fault is my own. It was my fault when I decided against shooting Yuri... but what have I truly done?

"We are of different name and body, but essence of being cannot be changed," said Yuki leaving only an inch of distance between us. "The affinity between beings... is also static."

"Nagato... are you... okay?"

Just as Nagato was closing in with uncharacteristically seductive eyes, a worried host wandered down the hall, finally finding us.

"Hey!" Tsuruya waved. "Are you guys mega lost or something? I'm so sorry! I totally should have waited!"

"No worries," Nagato responded with a visible blush.

Nagato brisked ahead and followed Tsuruya. For Nagato to transform like this all of a sudden, something I had the feeling that this was only the beginning. Part of me was hoping that Asahina (Adult) would arrive soon to give me a briefing.


	10. Unknown 1: Projections of Harmony

What does it mean to exist? Is the simple state of being enough or is the right to be seen a requirement? The answer to that would double as to whether or not I exist. reality progresses and I am here – unnoticed. Life passes by me, life passes through me, life goes on without me. Nevertheless, I am here watching the familiar and unknown faces live purposefully. Would a ghost such as myself have a purpose too...?

**Mikuru Asahina's House – 10:22 PM**

As the moon assumed its nightly shift, Yuri began to situate herself as Asahina's guest. She was visibly content with the pajamas that she got to borrow. Yuri always did seem to be the type to enjoy sleepovers.

"Hey Mikuru," said Yuri. "Is it true that you are from the future?"

"That is true," Asahina admitted while quickly shifting from being surprised to understanding.

"I guess that means you already knew all about me, huh?"

"Only a little bit," Asahina replied with a shy smile.

"Hey Hana... er... Mikuru," Yuri continued enthusiastically. "Do you have any Devil's Chocolate cake mix? I should make one for you tonight!"

"Um... I do, but why devil's chocolate?" Asahina asked.

"The same reason I know you have some. You're a sucker for chocolate, right?"

"That's right," she sighed in amusement. "Even though I have not encountered you often, you know me very well. There are several people like that in my line of work, so I should be used to these relationships, but it is still a strange feeling..."

The two girls went into the kitchen and gathered the ingredients. Mikuru handled adding the ingredients with great precision while Yuri mixed everything together energetically. Once everything began to bake, they retreated into the den where Mikuru would obey Yuri's request to play the piano for her. A bright atmosphere surrounded the one who has not performed for anyone in ages and the one who fulfilled one of her innermost desires. The latter closed her eyes with an expression one would wear in paradise.

"Yuri," Mikuru called as she observed Nakamura's contented state. "When I first met you the other day, it felt like there was something I really wanted to say to you. Right now, I have that feeling again, but I can't think about what it is..."

"I see," Yuri replied while visibly curious.

"Anyways, feel free to stay here as long as you'd like."

Yuri clung to Asahina tightly and she was the definition of happy. She wore a face of someone with no regrets; a state of mind that I recognize all too well. There was a time in my life where I made the people around me happy. Shortly after words, they would move on never cross my path again. Following that was a time where I feared being lonely until a friend encouraged me to keep doing the things I wanted to do. In the end, I hypocritically left him in the same manner. Is this condition of mine some form of judgment?

**Kyon's House – 9:55 AM**

This morning, Kyon will apparently fall prey to an abrupt awakening in the form of his sister. She sang into his room, loud and clear, making sure to disturb his slumber prior to yanking him out of bed.

"What are you doing? It's the weekend!" Kyon protested.

"See, big sister?" his sister said while looking towards the door. "I told you my brother was grouchy!"

"Who are you talking t-" Kyon started to ask until he took notice of his visitor smugly studying his sleeping face. "Y-Yuri..."

After Kyon fumbled around, Yuri revealed that there was a big breakfast waiting for everyone in the dining room. Kyon barely managed to hide an expression which admitted that he was very impressed by both the display and selection.

"Don't take too long to eat," said Yuri. "We are supposed to see Haruhi very soon, and I don't want to be late."

"Yeah, yeah," he replied with a mouth half stuffed with toast.

Yuri smiled happily at Kyon, while his sister alternated gazes between the two of them. A male calico cat of sorts was focused in my direction feebly trying to attack my shoes. If only I were comprised of matter...

"Thank you for breakfast, big sister!"

Yuri humbly nodded in approval. Evidently, the fact that Kyon's sister had taken a liking to her almost instantly rendered Yuri speechless. Eventually both high school students decided venture towards the cafe where the rest of their group would be waiting.

"I can't believe that you could be mean to a little sister as cute as she is!" Yuri exclaimed.

"I guarantee that she would drive you crazy if you lived with her long enough," Kyon replied. "Didn't you say you had three little siblings yourself? Surely you should know how differently brothers and sisters tend to act behind closed doors."

"Maybe I was just lucky. Hanako was always hardworking and mature, although she was dense at times. Little Niwa was always so sweet and irresistible no matter where he was. That's unless you count the arguments he and Kikuko would have."

"So you did have a problem child," said an amused Kyon.

"...I suppose I did," Yuri replied. "Kikuko was more or less abstract compared to the rest of us. But even she did not hold back on her true nature to anyone. When it came to something she liked or someone that she cared about, she was the type to devote herself to the fullest. Sure she would argue with everyone often, but at the same time, she was probably the most caring out of all four of us."

"I see," said Kyon, while drifting into thought.

"Right now, you look like you're thinking about Haruhi," Yuri randomly added.

"What? N-no! What are you talking about?"

Yuri chuckled before replying, "Hmhm! It's only natural that you would. After all you do like her, right? Mikuru as well.."

Kyon looked at his traveling partner in the eyes. Just then, he reminded himself he was walking with someone that knew him surprisingly well and vice-versa. The way they carried about towards their destination, close and in conversation, it was as if they really were brother and sister. Kyon's expression was not as visible, but the both of them were glad to be together. Is the the power of a bond that transcends natural life?

"It's about time you two got here!" exclaimed Haruhi with the other three members beside her. "Being late is just asking for a penalty!"

"I'm the one at fault," Yuri replied. "I held Kyon up when I visited him this morning and made breakfast there. We may have been earlier otherwise."

There was the mildest sense of tension between everyone, with Yuki Nagato emanating the most. She and Kyon exchanged awkward glances for a brief moment.

"Since this is your first official meeting, we can forget about the penalty for now," Haruhi continued. "However, you'd be better off if you don't make it a habit."

As everyone went inside the cafe, Kyon complained ever-so-silently about how he did not receive any amnesty when he was a newbie.

After everyone consumed their refreshments, the Brigade leader proceeded to explain that two groups of three will explore the town and report any strange phenomenon to he group immediately. The three drawn straws with the red tip makes one group while the plain straws define the other. Once everyone grabbed a straw, it was determined that Kyon, Nagato and Koizumi made one group while Suzumiya, Asahina and Nakamura made the other.

By instinct, I scrambled out of everyone's way when they started to leave, even though I cannot be seen, heard, nor felt. Life passes by me, life passes through me, life goes on without me...


	11. Unknown 2: Limits of Bliss

Two groups of three left the cafe full of energy and ready to live out the rest of their day. Nakamura challenged Suzumiya to a race and the latter was apparently not one to back down. Mikuru Asahina bade group two farewell as she followed her partners at a leisurely pace.

"Suzumiya and Nakamura are certainly like two peas in a pod if I do say so myself," said an amused Koizumi.

"I never thought anyone could come around and give Haruhi a run for her money," Kyon inputted. "Actually, I want to say that she may have even met her match."

"I am not certain that I would go that far. At times, Suzumiya's energy appears to derive directly from the stars in the sky."

"Believe me, I know exactly what you mean, but Yuri's resolve isn't anything to sneeze at either."

Koizumi grinned before continuing "Perhaps the two of us can make a small wager as to which one will have more stamina by the time everyone reunites?"

"Sure. The loser has to cover the next food bill for all six of us," Kyon proposed with a grin that suggested that he had nothing to lose.

"Very well then. You're on."

By the time the bet sealed via handshake, Yuki Nagato already trotted her way to the far street corner. Koizumi and Kyon hasted in order to catch up to her. Since the first group was already out of sight, I decided to follow two guys and alien.

"...So how did it go yesterday?" Kyon asked Koizumi. "I heard from Nagato that you were called to a Closed Space last night."

"Ah, you are right about that. I am surprised at myself for not being the first to bring up the topic as it turned out to be one of the most interesting turn of events that I have witnessed in quite some time."

"What do you mean by that?"

Kyon's interest was obviously piqued as he prodded for more information. He did not even seem to realize that Nagato decided to lean on his arm as the others chatted.

"When Yuri Nakamura first arrived, her influence arranged the area so that eradicating the avatars became much easier," Itsuki began. "But last night, her input made things so that our faction barely had to lift a finger. Reinforcements came our way in the form of an unfamiliar dark matter that possessed an aura similar to us espers and most of the traits our foes did. Because of their appearance and behavior, we decided to refer to this new species as _Gyaku Shinjin. _The two forces aggressively opposed each other, and each skirmish would end in an utter draw. If there was enough time, I would have invited you to see this phenomenon for yourself, as the sight of those creatures nullifying themselves was unforgettable."

"It sounds amazing by description alone," Kyon inputted.

"Since we barely had to fight last night, our group got into a large debate as to the symbolism to this phenomenon. From a simple perspective, this development is the best thing that has ever happened to us. Some among us are still wary and believe that we may not be too pleased with what these developments will bring in the long run. No matter what we believed, our universal decision was to never let our guard down and to keep watching the situation carefully..."

As Koizumi ended his description, he took notice of Yuki Nagato and how she was embracing Kyon's right arm with both of her's. Both boys felt an urge to interrogate Nagato on her strange behavior, but such words remained unspoken for the remainder of the walk.

Kyon's group was the first to arrive at the cafe. Three minutes later, Yuri Nakamura barged through the doors with Suzumiya and Asahina close behind her.

"GOAL!" Yuri exclaimed. "Ah, you guys are already here, huh?"

"Don't tell me you raced back too..." Kyon sighed.

"Hehe..."

Both groups confessed over lunch that neither of them successfully found anything extraordinary. Additionally, Nakamura excitably chatted about how much of the city she got to see within the past few hours. Of the six customers, she was in the highest spirits of the six by far.

"Well anyways, round two is in a half an hour, so prepare yourselves until then!" exclaimed Haruhi.

"A half hour? Our intermissions are usually only ten-to-fifteen minutes long. Then why..."

Just as Kyon asked, Haruhi sunk her head onto the table and began to drift off. Yuri then proceeded to rubbing her backside to aide her slumber.

"Miss Nakamura was so enthusiastic today, that not even Miss Suzumiya could compete," Mikuru clarified with a slight giggle. "The poor girl wore herself out just trying to keep up with Yuri.."

"Way to go, Yuri! I knew I could count on you!" Kyon praised while showing a thumb of approval.

"Eh? What do you mean..?" Asked a confused Yuri. Kyon laughed heartily while Koizumi checked his wallet's cash count.

Yuri & Kyon lead the conversation about local city sites. Mikuru made occasional inputs on some of the more obscure attractions and Itsuki flaunted his historical knowledge on some of the main hotspots. Yuki continued too take residence on Kyon's shoulder, while peering to the opposite corner where Yuri was sitting. Her focus remained on Yuri as if she were envious towards the difference in attention levels. By no means am I a stranger to this expression. It persisted until Suzumiya woke up eight minutes later than her estimation. The straws were hurriedly drawn. This time, Kyon, Nagato and Nakamura made one team while Suzumiya, Koizumi and Asahina made the other. Yuri proceeded to drag Kyon out of the cafe while Koizumi took care of the bill. Nagato stood outside of the exit and mumbled inaudibly before following her group. Again, I was left with the choice of which group to follow. This time, my decision was based on which team warranted the most concern...

"Ah, I remember this place! You guys were here in the middle of the film, right? This was the last scene I got to see, I think!"

The three stared several steps down to the open plaza; Yuri hurried down to its center.

"When I look at it from here, I can definitely see why Haruhi chose this place! This is an ideal spot for a weird encounter if I ever saw one! Don't you think so, Kyon?"

She turned around to her company only to come to an unsettling realization.

"Kyon..? Yuki..? Where did you two go?"

The two she called out to escaped from our sights. Although the atmosphere remained clear, it felt bleak in an obscure manner. The clouds stood still and the birds were nonexistent. After Yuri determined that no one was in sight, she headed back towards the stairs she descended from. Her tracks were stopped by an unfamiliar student emerging from the woodwork. She apparently went to North High just like the others based on her uniform, but the fact that she wore it on the weekend made her look out-of-place. Even her bright smile struck me as off.

"H-Hey," Nakamura stuttered. "Who are you?"

The strange girl brushed her bangs to the side before replying, "Hello, Yuri Nakamura. I am Ryoko Asakura, and I am here to guide you out of this dimension before it is too late."


	12. Yuri 6: Red Vs Blue

_Author's Notes:_

_Well today this story officially started one year ago! It went through a nine-month hiatus, and unfortunately, this still is not the end. But on the bright side, I come bearing the twelfth installment to everyone! And a special thanks to my friend Kujo for proofreading this chapter!_

* * *

"Hello, Yuri Nakamura. I am Ryoko Asakura, and I am here to guide you out of this dimension before it is too late."

A complete stranger, who has proven to know my full name, stood before me. What was her name again? Ryoko Asakura? The name certainly rings a bell, but her face does not! I'm sure if I've ever seen such thick eyebrows on a girl before, I would never forget it.

"Who do you think you are deciding things for me out of the blue? How do you know my name, anyways..?"

The moment I asked, I recalled the very first thing she said to me. _Guide me out of this dimension? _That's right. People that talk like that in this world are the ones who are extraordinary...

"The longer you remain here, the more likely it is for your mind to completely corrupt," Asakura replied. "Even right now, as we are standing, your mental state has already depraved to dangerous levels."

"You have some nerve calling me a crazy person on our first encounter. Who knows? Maybe you're onto something. I wouldn't doubt it."

I learned from experience that it's best to hold your ground at times like this. However, something in the back of my mind told me I had to be as careful as possible at the same time.

"Haruhi Suzumiya, Mikuru Asahina, and Kyon. Who are they to you?" The nosy girl asked.

"What kind of silly question is that? They're all my friends, of course!"

"...I see," she squinted in response. "Just now, you put your thought processes in a defensive state under the potential fear that I might find out information that you do not want me to. Unfortunately for you, I already know everything."

"Ha! Nice try, but you don't even know what you're talking about! I'm leaving now."

Asakura sidled in front of me as I tried to walk past her and persisted with her banter.

"You allowed yourself to believe Suzumiya and the others are reincarnations of your siblings that you have abandoned in the past. Is that correct?"

I took a couple of steps back on impulse.

"... What did you just say?"

"The data flow in this area suggests that you heard me, but I will repeat myself regardless. You allowed yourself to believe that by befriending the three humans that slightly resemble your family, you would eventually atone for your past failure as an elder sister."

This is bad. Is this girl another pseudo-hypnosis user like Naoi? No, this is different... like mind reading. At any rate, I have to get out of here and fast. With that being said, I shoved past her and darted towards the stairs... However, my efforts fell short as I literally hit a wall; one that both defied physics and deceived my eyes. The troublesome student stared at my downed state as she babbled more nonsense.

"This space we are in is under my control; no one can leave or enter unless I permit it. This allows plenty of time for us to chat."

I dusted myself off and calmly informed her, "I have nothing to say to you, so you might as well let me go."

Asakura continued as if she did not even hear me. "The more you try to restore your past self, the more distant everyone around you will become. And eventually..."

"I said shut up!" (If words won't work, then I will have to leave it to my foot!)

The moment my thrust kick connected, the pest shattered like fragile glass. The sudden flurry of gold dust blinded me for a moment... Is it finally over? The invisible barrier that trapped me appears to have vanished. Now if I can just find Nagato & Kyon, maybe I can forget about what just happened...

"_You allowed yourself to believe Suzumiya and the others are reincarnations of your siblings that you have abandoned in the past... that by befriending the three humans that slightly resemble your family, you would eventually atone for your past failure as an elder sister..."_

I could have pointed out the fallacies in her argument if I felt like it. For one, if everyone simply 'looked' like my siblings, then my being here would make no sense at all! I don't know what that freak was trying to accomplish, but whatever it was, she didn't do a very good job.

Once I got to the top of the steps, a familiar sight for sore eyes was waiting.

"Ah, Mikuru, you're here! Did Haruhi and the others decide to come here too?"

"Oh hello, Ms. Nakamura," Mikuru replied. "Yes, everyone is waiting for you. Is everything alright?"

"I've been better, but I'll manage."

I still don't get how everyone lost me. I mean, didn't they watch me go down there? Surely enough, the entire SOS Brigade was out here just as Mikuru said. I made sure to yell at Kyon for ditching me. He did nothing in response but bury his face in his palm.

"Hey, you don't have to take it that seriously, Kyon.. It just worried me a little."

He scoffed at me for the second time. In addition, Haruhi and Itsuki were constantly stealing unnerving glances at me. What is this...

"Hey you guys..! What's with the sudden change in the mood? Did something happen?"

"Not really," Kyon finally spoke. "Although a few minutes ago, we wound up talking about what you said about your brother and sisters and how you lost them."

I thought for a moment before responding, "Ah.. No wonder! That's no good talking about such depressing things at a place like this."

"There was little choice since the topic had much to do with what the lot of us has recently decided," Koizumi suggested. Haruhi was the one to follow-up Koizumi's confusing statement... only to baffle me further.

"Yuri Nakamura, the SOS Brigade has unanimously decided to dismiss you as a member starting today."

What..? Unanimous..? But there's no way... That's impossible! Kyon, weren't you the one who wanted me to stay..? Then why...

"If you don't even have what it takes to help your own flesh and blood, what use could you be to any of us?" Haruhi added. "I mean you let all three of them die, one at a time, without even putting up a real fight."

…

"Um," interjected Mikuru. I can count on you to change the mood, right..?

"Let's not forget that Miss Nakamura said that she passed out before her last sibling died. That would mean that her last sibling suffered all alone..."

…

"I'm sorry, Mikuru..."

Mikuru slightly tilted her head with the most condescending face I ever seen her wear. "Why are you apologizing to me? This is a little strange..."

It was you, Mikuru! Hanako was the one I didn't see off.. If I apologize to you, then...

"We already said what we were going to," Kyon sighed. "Can we go already?"

Everyone but Nagato nodded their heads in approval, but even she turned her back on me with the others.

(No...)

The people that are leaving right now are everyone that I befriended in this world (minus Tsuruya).

(Stop it, you guys...)

Not only that, but three of you are an irreplaceable part of me. We're a part of each other! We're family...

(Just... wait a moment, will you...?)

My voice is failing me. Louder... I have to speak louder... As loud as possible... scream, even...

"STOP IT! Please don't leave me!"

I screwed my eyes shut as I shouted. If I could not see everybody's face by the time I opened them up again...

"Ah, welcome back!"

I did see one face in front of me, but she did not match either of the ones that I wanted to see. Furthermore, I wound up back in the same area I thought I escaped from!

"You..."

She smiled as if she were mocking me before she started her sickening voice again.

"I failed to relay data to you using verbal communication due to the fact that you were not willing to communicate with me as a humanoid interface. As a result, I resorted to sending direct data to your thought processes via simulation. How was it?"

The strength in my legs gave out the instant that statement sank in. That horrible nightmare that forced all these tears out of me really was a nightmare!

"As I was attempting to say earlier," Asakura continued. "The more you try to restore your past self, the more distant everyone around you will become. And eventually... everything will backfire... similar to that scenario. There is no changing the past, Yuri Nakamura. Furthermore, there is no benefit for mentally living in that said past. That is why you must leave right now; for the sake of this dimension... and for your own."

Asakura pulled out the same gun that Kyon did several days ago. Unlike Kyon, who hesitated, Asakura pulled the trigger almost the moment after I identified the weapon. That's right.. this really is for the best, isn't it? Even if the real Kyon, Haruhi & Mikuru do not hate me, I'm still... I'm still...

…

_Dodge to the right._

...I obeyed the inner voice and leaned over to the right at the last possible millisecond. The chill laser grazed through a piece of my beret.

"You still wish to resist? Do you still not understand your situation?"

I understand perfectly, but...

_Stand up. You must run._

Something… or someone wants me to keep going. With that being said, I dodged Asakura's next three shots and determined that she can only fire once every half of a second.

_Close the gap between the two of you.._

Can I do that? One false move and all is lost. Then again, this projectile is slower than anything than Angel has used against me. Thanks to all the practice I got sparring with her, I might just have a chance.

_All of that was training..?_

Asakura's aim was just as scary as the projectiles she used. Every shot I avoided would have got me right between the eyes otherwise. Once I get close enough to her, what should I do then? Disarm her? Maybe if I confiscate her weapon, I can turn the tides and take her out of this dimension instead.

Once I got close enough to Asakura, I remembered how badly I wanted to beat her to a pulp for playing with my emotions like that. I will send her to hell if it's the last thing I do!

Attacking Asakura was proving to be as pointless as swatting a fly with your bare hands, as she would disintegrate and relocate herself with every swing I threw. Wait, _Janemba _had this pattern too... what was his weakness again?

_Bubble Lead._

Silly question, meet silly answer... who are you anyways?

"Is this your final resolve?" Asakura asked while constantly repositioning herself. "Regressing to this barbaric state?"

"Shut the hell up, you monster!"

Asakura rematerialized to my blind side before continuing. "Do you remember? The last time you behaved like this? Your first life ended while you were in a similar state."

"Don't lump unrelated events in the same category! Just DIE!"

I threw my full force with my last punch; big mistake. Asakura capitalized this moment to throw me completely off balance. Her grin was still as bright and menacing as it was when we first met. She gazed down at me with the gun barrel pointed in the same direction.

"Can you see it now? At this rate, you will just hurt everyone all over again as long as you are like this. Your mind is tainted, your body is restless, and your soul is weary. Please allow me to be your savior."

_Have you any strength left?_

In case you didn't realize, this is a cliché checkmate scene. This is the part where either someone comes to rescue me or my efforts crumble right here.

_So it is. In that case..._

In that case, you stop being a figment of my imagination and save my ass? Wouldn't _that_ be...

**SLOSH!**

...Nice?

Asakura stumbled forward a half-step to a violent noise that was disgustingly nostalgic. The smile was wiped off the creep's face, but only for a split second. She turned her head around to face her backstabber.

"My, my. This is an interesting development. Who might you be?"

My vision of where the third person stood was blocked by Asakura, but somehow, I had a strong feeling as to who was there. And then...

"Guard skill: Terminate."

I became certain.

"Impossible!" Asakura cried. "No way... For someone like you to have that power... you must be..!"

Ryoko began to disintegrate again. However, unlike the instantaneous method she used before, this one was more drawn out and gaudy like a boss from an RPG...

" So it is you," Asakura continued. "Hopefully you realize that by eliminating me like this, you will definitely have to deal with the one who is pulling my strings, right...? Ah... this is the kind of interesting data that I was hoping to see all along! To think that I'm going to be missing out... Oh well... You guys be sure to have lots of fun in my place, okay?"

With that statement, the nightmare disappeared in the wind... Was everything that just happened _fun_ for her? I guess there really are people in the galaxy more sadistic than I am...

The silver-haired hero retracted her digital blade and let out a complacent sigh.

"Are you alright, Yuri?"

I'll live... again and again.

My old friend offered her dainty hand to lift me off the ground. "I owe you one... Kanade."

"If you can walk, then we should find your friends as soon as possible," she said. "Everyone here is in danger."

"I figured as much. We still have to deal with whoever was pulling Asakura's strings."

"Leave it to me," Kanade replied.

"What? Why would you want to take a tough enemy like that all by yourself?"

"You were sent here to resolve your family matters," Angel said while looking at me with as much determination as possible. "I was sent here to resolve mine."

* * *

_Author's Note:_

_'Janemba' is a one-shot villain in the Dragonball Z Series. 'Bubble Lead,' is a power-up in Mega Man 2 known for being the only ability that can damage the game's final alien boss._


	13. Kyon 5: When Silver Linings Collide

Just now, I caught myself suffering a powerful feeling of anxiety even though I am alone with Nagato. Usually having Nagato by my side would among be the least troublesome developments possible... but now... something feels marginally different. More accurately, Nagato has not been acting the same since I helped her access the information that she wanted to know.

_"The co-existence of Haruhi Suzumiya and Yuri Nakamura has been calculated to alter the variables of everyone within a large vicinity... It has been calculated that the individual that will be the most affected... is me."_

Well I can't say that she didn't warn me... Long ago I decided that I would take responsibility for refusing to shoot Yuri back to the dimension that she came from. I also told myself that I would find a way to support Nagato to make up for my decision somehow. But even if I say that...

"Nagato, why are we leaving Yuri behind?"

I also promised Haruhi that I would watch over Yuri – although I've already found myself doing that willingly since the day we met. Why is that...?

"Are you worried about Yuri Nakamura?" inquired Nagato.

"I'm not sure if that's the best way to describe it," was my reply. "It's just that lately, I've been more and more uneasy if Yuri isn't around any one of us. It's not that I don't trust her, but it takes a load off of my mind just knowing that she's safe."

"Then..." Nagato continued. "Do you like Yuri Nakamura?"

"...It does sort of sound like that huh?" I answered while realizing that such a question did not fluster me for once. "I think this feeling is a little more specific than that. It has to be the same reason that even Haruhi has strong feelings for Yuri. Even though I do sort of... like Yuri, there is something else that I want to say to her... if I only knew what that _something_ was..."

"I can also identify with the strong urges that has developed since Yuri Nakamura's arrival," is how Nagato decided to respond.

"You too?"

"However, the message that I wish to convey is not for Yuri Nakamura." As Nagato clarified herself, she wrapped right arm around my left. The both of us stared into each others' eyes with undivided attention. "The message would be for you."

Nagato went through an immense amount of changes, just as she predicted. However, I never began to question the meaning behind her changes until just now. Nagato never made attempts at body contact before; she holds onto me now. Nagato never concerned herself with who I care for or like before; now she asks me such things directly. The only time Nagato's expressions were easy to read was when I was sent to her alternate reality; I can see them clearly now...

"What is it, Nagato..?"

"Out of everything that I recently discovered, there is one fact that stands out significantly. The connection we share with each other has an origin. Primarily, it is that origin that evokes the strong feelings that you, Haruhi Suzumiya and Mikuru Asahina share for Yuri Nakamura and for each other. In addition... my strong feelings for Kyon also ties to the same origin."

Even when Nagato explains things so simply, I still do not completely understand. If my feelings for Yuri and everyone else has an origin, then what is the nature of that origin? The way Nagato words things seem to suggest that this isn't the first time I met Yuri. That would vaguely explain why we managed to connect so easily...

"I believe people refer to this development as _fate,_" proceeded Nagato. "At the point of origin, my love for you was strong. In this present setting, my love for you remains strong..."

"Nagato..."

She continued with alluring eyes, "Should this universe cease to function and we were to co-exist in another... my love for you will remain strong..."

Before I could fully comprehend it, (let alone react), I became the subject of a confession... from Nagato. Even though she is the least predictable friend I have by far, this exceeds my perception of her limitations. She gazed at me anxiously as if she were waiting for a response, but... the truth is that I don't know what to say. For one thing the topic was about Yuri and her origin just a minute ago. Changing topics to something like this without a clear transition is...

"Kyon! There you are!" shouted a familiar voice, negating the awkward atmosphere. Nagato released her grip on my arm as Yuri hurried up to my elevation. The latter vigorously embraced me once we met.

"Yuri... what's the matter?"

"Just be quiet and hold still for now..." Yuri muffled into my chest.

"Sure..."

I don't know what's going on, but I decide to hold Yuri by instinct alone. Nagato stood somewhere on my blind side, watching all of this. Remembering that, I realized that this could be seen as a blatant rejection towards Nagato's bold statement. Just as I was about to turn to Nagato, a young stranger three steps below everyone caught my eye.

An undeniably cute girl, who is comparable to Nagato in both height and composition, stood before me. Her long, silver hair brought out a distinct contrast to her unfamiliar, yet interesting beige school uniform. When our eyes met, she let off an angelic smile and bowed her head slightly. A strong feeling shook my heart just then, and I thought about what Nagato was trying to tell me when she confirmed that there really is a complicated reason why I have such strong feelings for Yuri. Those same emotions are making a comeback tenfold...

"Hey," I called out to the only stranger of the three girls near me. "Have we met somewhere before?"

"Ah..."

My question greatly shocked the girl. It felt as though my emotions flared along with her's.

"Sorry," I backed down. "For a moment, you seemed very familiar.. Sorry to trouble you."

"It is no trouble," the girl replied. "You're right, after all."

Yuri turned to the girl's direction. "Eh? Is that true, Kanade?"

Is that what the girl's name is? Strangely enough, knowing that does nothing to amplify my familiarity with her. Regardless, my anxiety level surges with a different feeling now. Tension? But why? There is a peaceful aura emanating from both Yuri and Kanade... but maybe the feeling has something to do with where Kanade is looking right now.

"It's you..." whispered the girl whose voice cracked and trembled behind me. "For you to come all the way here just to do this..."

Those pained murmurs came from Nagato. Her expression, filled with the same disdain as her voice, was something I thought I would never see in this universe or any other.

"It was more than my own will that brought me here, sister," the girl known as Kanade replied with a passive sigh.

...How did Kanade just address Yuki? A disturbing realization suddenly hit me like a _Gentle Fist _aftershock. The Nagato I see now is definitely not the same as the one that I know. I decided this while noting that the Nagato I know would never show this much anger under any circumstances...

"Shut up! It doesn't even matter anymore... You heard it, right? He remembers you just from seeing you once... Even though we're sisters he remembers only you... You already won.. _again!"_

"Kaya..."

A deafening silence struck the area between an enraged Nagato, and a troubled Kanade. That area doubles as the spot where Yuri and I are holding each other. It only takes her strikingly similar pulse for me to understand that she is slightly afraid. Both of of us instinctively glanced over at Nagato as she took a deep breath. I felt Yuri's slender grip tighten...

"I hate you!"

An exaggerated impact boomed from Nagato's exclamation, sending Yuri and I flying towards Kanade's direction. Our flight came to a surprisingly soft stop – a gorgeous pair of white wings broke our fall, courtesy of Kanade. Is she an angel?

"More than decoration after all...?" Kanade commented to no one in particular. She slowly stepped towards Nagato before continuing. "Kaya... you have the right to be angry. You also have the right to seek your own happiness. However... I cannot let you trouble Nakamura and other innocent people just for that."

"Yuri Nakamura arrived here in error. Her troubles started before I assigned my backup unit to release Nakamura."

"So the one who summoned Asakura was..." Yuri uttered in a tone barely audible. Wait, Nagato did WHAT? In that short time we separated, Yuri and Asakura were doing who-knows-what... This is starting to get out of hand. Nagato, you have to stop this!

"..."

"Won't your Integrated Data boss thing try to punish you all over again?"

She silently nodded her head even though I am not sure how to take such an answer. Kanade said responded with an echoed line I didn't catch, but the result of what she said produced a short sword from her sleeve. The sharp-tip and dull edges suggest that the weapon is designed for defensive purposes.

"Kyon, we should get out of here," suggested Yuri.

"But Nagato is..."

"There would be trouble if Haruhi were to come and see all of this, right? We have to be prepared to intercept her."

Nagato and Kanade raced each other down to the center of the plaza, making Yuri's plan more appealing. And sure enough, once we navigated our way towards the exit, Haruhi and Asahina stood at the end of our path.

"There you guys are! Koizumi had to leave us because of an emergency call just now. We're calling off the search for today, so just be sure to stay near your phones in case Koizumi calls any of us. Hey, where's Yuki?"

Getting out here on time is one thing, but we didn't have any time to think of an excuse to cover for Nagato. Moments later, it turns out that the thunderous crash that sounded would have interrupted our story anyways.

"Woah! What was that?" Haruhi asked expectantly.

Yuri decided to intervene. "Oh that? There's construction going on in the plaza. Don't get too close. Debris is flying everywhere."

Haruhi hummed as if accepting the answer and then...

"Wait, what! That plaza is a historical landmark for my movie! What does the city think they're doing all of a sudden!"

Haruhi zipped past the both of us before either of us could catch her. She's just as hardheaded as ever... Wait, this isn't a joking matter at all!

"Ah..." breathed a panicky Asahina. "No... I didn't... Auu... Haah! Oh no!"

"Asahina! What's the matter?" I asked while Yuri and I rushed to her.

Her legs wobbled as if it took the rest of her strength to stand. She gazed upward looking as if the grim reaper was staring back.

"M-my _classified_ device is o-out of battery power," Asahina whimpered. "Because of everything last night, I... I completely forgot to charge it... If the _classified information_ were trying to contact me at all this afternoon, then..."

Asahina collapsed to her knees and completely broke down before finishing her sentence. Yuri immediately went to Asahina to hold her still. I barely made heads or tails out of what Asahina said just now, but apparently Yuri has a decent understanding as to what is going on.

"Miss Suzumiya... should not be seeing what is going on over there, right?"

"Yeah," Yuri confirmed bluntly. "We should go over there."

Yuri slowly helped Asahina off the ground while Asahina dejected further "Just now, I think... I failed..."

"Hey-hey none of that. This is just like you blaming yourself. Anyways don't give up yet. That's the last thing your folks would want you to do."

And just like that, Asahina got her courage back. This isn't the first time Yuri's words reached others. She won Haruhi's trust almost instantly and I must admit that her words tend to have a strange effect on me as well. Even at a time like this I want to believe that everything will be okay. But even if I say that...

"...How long were you guys planning on keeping a secret like this to yourselves...?" was the first thing Haruhi asked us as three of us reached the bottom of the plaza.

* * *

_Author's Notes:_

_Greetings, everyone! I've decided to take up the space that would have been the separation between two smaller chapters just to say a couple of things! First I'll start with the obvious. I'd like to thank each and every one of you for your continued support! Back when I was conceiving this idea, I didn't really anticipate this kind of following (let alone 50+ reviews!). On the other hand, I anticipated finishing this story a long time ago... but sometimes the twists and turns of life forces a change of plans. Regardless, we've come this far, and it has really been a pleasure getting to this point!_

_As for the other announcement, I would like to address that from now on, every time I make a new entry in one of my fictions, I will also include a new journal entry which can be found in my Fanfiction profile. I will date it and everything, making it as easy as possible to navigate. What to expect in those journal entries are random things like extra notes, explanations and probably future concepts. I can't guarantee that you'll get anything out of reading them, but I thought I'd just let this crowd know what's going down._

_Alright, that's it for this segment! Back to what you came here for!_

* * *

Despite all the confidence Yuri has given us so far, upon looking at the activity in the stone plaza, no other words came to my mind but Game Over. Not only were the two quarreling girls facing each other as rivals would, but their _battle stances_ were a dead giveaway that this was no ordinary confrontation. The girl known as Kanade decided to flaunt her two hand blades and angelic wings that flapped from behind her. As for Nagato... A piercing white halo illuminated the area directly above her head. An intense, distorted radiance surrounded her making the sight almost seem like a hologram stood in her place. Looking at Yuki like this reminded me of how Nakagawa described his first impression of her when he gave his crazy confession. Could this be similar to what he saw? As intriguing as this sight is, now is not the time to admire this rare scene. After all, there is an unexpected witness here...

"...How long were you guys planning on keeping a secret like this to yourselves...?" asked Haruhi, the witness. "Well never mind that... but there's a flaw in hiding something like this from me, you know."

Poor Asahina was slipping in and out of consciousness while miraculously keeping enough strength to stand. I was also too speechless to reply. Yuri somehow pulled through for both of us.

"A flaw...?"

'Well yeah," Haruhi answered. "This would have been a nice surprise for me, but in the end there's no way you can hold secret _'Adventures of Mikuru Asahina'_ auditions without some sort of director supervising the event."

Mikuru fainted. Yuri and I came tumbling after.

"What? That's what this is, right?"

Sure, Haruhi! All of the special effects you're looking at right now is CG, only without the computers and any form of hi-tech equipment! I shouldn't complain... at least we have a shabby alibi now.

"Hey! Yuki! Is this girl a friend of yours?" Haruhi yelled while bounding into the fray.

Yuri started after the eager Brigade Leader while shouting, "Wait a second! Haruhi!"

The path to the distorted area where Nagato stood was cut off by Kanade, who raised her right blade and sliced the thick air in front of them. She immediately launched more elegant swipes while spinning with stellar balance. My eyes fail to perceive what Kanade is attacking, but considering the fact that dust is accumulating in random spots around the area, one can safely assume that she is not merely performing. Nagato... are you seriously the one on offense?

"Whats – going on..?" Mikuru whimpered in-between sobs. "Why is – Miss Nagato doing this?"

"These special effects are amazing!" cried an ecstatic Haruhi. "We definitely need people like you for my sequel!"

"...A sequel?"

The moment the puzzled, dual-wielding angel faced Haruhi and her banter, Nagato phased her way into the group's proximity as a phantom would. Yuki thrusts her palm at the defender and Kanade manages to whip up a last-minute force field. The attack was absorbed, but Kanade was sent hurdling backwards. The clueless Haruhi squealed in amazement.

"Come on, get out of the way and let them finish demonstrating!" Yuri yelled while pulling Haruhi by the wrist.

The two silver-haired combatants carried on their duel at blinding speeds that were difficult to follow. Questions swarmed to me as frequently as the blows that were exchanged: Who should I be rooting for in this case? Why are they even fighting in the first place? Who is this _Kaya_ person that Kanade keeps calling Nagato? Speaking of Kanade... where have I seen her before? Nothing is making sense anymore... What is it going to take to get Nagato and everything else back to normal?

"This really was a bad idea," said Yuri as she returned to my side. "All this stuff is happening just because I'm here. Nagato was trying to stop all of this from happening from the beginning..."

"Yuri..."

Her guilty eyes met mine before continuing, "It's the truth, right? Just look at all the chaos around us..."

To my left, Kanade's hand blades are clashing with Nagato's light-saber appendages that I recall Asakura using some time ago. To my right, Haruhi is shamelessly encroaching Mikuru while obliviously cheering at all of the action. Asahina is expectantly frozen in place, unsure of how to react without being able to communicate with her superiors. Just like Yuri suggested, this really is some mess. However...

"That's just like you, blaming yourself."

"...!" She noticed that I used her own words to get her attention.

"It's not like this place had any chance at being peaceful to begin with. You've been nothing but good to all of us since you came here, Yuri. Even if things are like this... it's okay as long as you're here."

I relayed those heartfelt words to Yuri the instant they surfaced. The bright blush Yuri wore after words confirmed that I went through to her just then. After a brief moment of silence, Yuri decided to give her reply.

"Just now, Kyon, you made me really happy. Thank you... but I don't deserve these kinds of feelings from all of you. Everything that is happening right now is because I failed to protect everyone when the time came."

For once I am unclear as to what is going on in Yuri's mind, but I'm certain that there is something that I want to say. What is it...? I want to know... I really want to know! The atmosphere around us seems to grow brighter the longer I think about what's on my mind. Brighter... even brighter...

"Kyon, look out!" cried Mikuru.

Upon facing the same direction as Asahina, I suddenly wound up facing a devastating spear of pure light heading straight my way. Barely visible in the distance was Kanade. Her horrified stare hints that she is not in the position to do anything about it. And then... a reckless being stood between me and the vicious projectile, armed with nothing but a serene smile and a single tear.

"I really, really loved every moment I spent with you guys," said the figure while surrounded by an overpowering light.

What does that idiot think she's doing! Asahina and even Haruhi started after Yuri. Once they reached me, the intense light behind Yuri prohibited either one of us from moving forward... and her image slowly became overshadowed.

Yuri... Why...?


	14. Kaya: My Sister, My Rival

Slowly, but surely, the distorted world around us begins to fade into its original hue. I gaze into the area that had just sustained a large, supernatural impact – As the fog clears, it is revealed that not one trace of humanity exists inside of it.

"Where did... everyone go?" my adversary asked showing the sincerest of concerns. "Kaya!"

The attack that inadvertently put everyone in danger was my own. Thankfully everyone that was in danger are safe; they escaped due an irregular reaction from Yuri Nakamura.

"Yuri did...?" pondered Kanade. "Thank goodness. Now it is just us."

As Kanade said what she did, she withdrew her _Hand Sonic_.

"What are you doing, Kanade?"

As Kanade turned away from me, her large wings evaporated like an illusion.

"The only reason I opposed you was to protect the others from getting hurt. And now... you can do what you want without anyone in the way."

And with that, Kanade showed her profile to me after resolving to let me have my way. But...

What is that I want exactly? All I know is that the answer lies somewhere in the past...

* * *

"This is Kaya Tachibana! She is one of our new neighbors that moved in last month! Also she will walking to primary school with us in place of Hanako, since she is now a first year in junior high."

The hyperactive girl that decided to befriend me instantly just now introduced me to her younger brother.

"M-my name is Niwakiso Nakamura. I am the youngest child out of four. Pleased to meet you."

He was just as polite as his sister described. However, he does not seem as annoying as she suggested. Also I somewhat remember seeing the boy's face at our school before. He does not seem to remember me. That is expected since I do not stand out very much...

This location is much closer to my school, so this is the first time I get to walk to school with new friends. I could get used to something like this...

…

"Yo, Niwa! When did you start hanging out with the Tachibana sisters? I didn't think you knew them."

Niwa's friends talked about me as if I were not nearby. Now that I think about it, we have been walking to school together for a while now and I have yet to mention my older sister to him.

"I didn't know you had an older sister, Kaya!" said my friend who was now curious. "What school does she go to?"

The truth is that my sister and I are enrolled in the same primary school, but my sister does not have to attend classes. I am the one who delivers her homework assignments every day.

"They say that she's popular and pretty and no one knows what happened to her," Niwa continued. "Is that true?"

"That's because hardly anyone has bothered to talk to me about that or anything else outside of math problems."

"Ah is that so? I always thought you were very popular, at least among our class."

I possibly could have been if I held that desire. However, I would prefer to make real friends as opposed to just anyone. Someone like Niwakiso is fine.

…

My sister is Kanade Tachibana. The two of us have earned a reputation at our school. Most of that is because we always ranked among the highest in our school's academic rankings. Sometimes I surpassed my sister and vice-versa, but since neither of us have fallen from the top ten, competing amongst ourselves for something like that was pointless. With that being said, we are unofficial rivals in nearly every other aspect of life.

I am more athletic, Kanade is more musically inclined. I solve puzzles much faster, Kanade's memory is more adept. Both of us are equally terrible at cooking. The abundance of times that we spend together cause us to learn more about each other. This is another defining reason towards our popularity in school. But now, Kanade's illness has taken a turn for the worse, and it would be dangerous for her to leave the house without supervision. In the day, I would wheel her to wherever she wants to go. At night we would complete our assignments, play video games and read manga. That is the secret pastime we share after all.

…

"Kaya, did you forget to bring home my copy of today's assignment?" Kanade asked in the afternoon.

Right now I am lying on top of my bed, finally reading the last manga that I purchased. We usually do not worry about assignments for another couple of hours. Why does she ask now?

"A friend of yours is here. He says that you accidentally left my copy on your desk."

After checking my backpack, it looks like the visitor is right. Who is the one that brought it over?

"Hi, Kaya! I brought over the handout to save you a trip back to the school... Hey, is that the latest volume of _The Little Onion Mage_? I didn't know you read stuff like that!"

That would be mostly because I tend not to talk about my hobbies to others. Just now I was caught in the act because my sister is always more open about these sorts of things. But if it's Niwakiso, then perhaps it is okay.

…

"I move two spaces forward," my big sister declared. "Our commanding units are now engaged in battle in the middle path. Cryophoenix will now open the assault with _Flash Frost._"

I watch Kanade pick up the twenty-sided die from the corner of the playing field and roll it. She hums a sound of satisfaction before I reply.

"Dark Child's _Molten Shield_ is still active. Half of the ice damage I would take is absorbed."

"Ah.. I miscounted, and now it's your turn to counterattack.."

"I retaliate with _Disintegrate_, and my passive _Pyromania_ ability has its fifth counter."

"Yes, yes," my reckless sibling sighed. "That means you get to attack one extra time."

"I will use the _Incinerate_ mob skill to attack you and the minions around you."

With a half-smile, the combatant who just lost all of her hit points in one turn turned to our male spectator and said, "Niwakiso, it looks like we are having fried chicken for dinner tonight. Would you care to join us?"

That's right... ever since that day, Niwakiso has started to visit us on the weekends along with his sister, Kikuko. Even though this has been going on for several weeks now, I still feel reluctant showing my true nature to Niwa like this. Surely he must think that I'm strange by now.

"Sorry if this is boring you," apologized Kanade. "It must be bothersome just watching us do stuff like this."

Niwa shook his head in disagreement. "It's fine."

"If you only knew Kaya from school, you'd never guess that she's like this at all," Kikuko added.

"Is it really that strange?"

"I don't mind this side of you. Kaya is still Kaya after all!" Niwa answered quickly.

This honest boy is the kind of friend that I made. Someone this kind to my sister and I truly is a pleasure to have around.

…

Another Sunday.

Niwakiso will be visiting us today as well. The day before, he promised to help me push Kanade to the local park again. He has always been one to keep his promises, but today he is late by almost a half an hour.

Just when I was about to worry, I hear a knock on the front door. The force of the sound was slightly louder than what I am used to. Knowing Niwa, he most likely tired himself out running here and is needlessly preparing to apologize for his tardiness. Sometimes that boy...

A stout stranger stood before my mother who answered the door. He stood about eight centimeters shorter than my mother in comparison with a large curly mustache that looks very much like the mascot of an overseas brand of potato chips. His attire and badge made it apparent that he is a local police officer.

"Is this the Tachibana residence, ma'am?" the officer inquired.

After mother answered and asked why he is here, the man continued, "Mrs. Tachibana, I am conducting a crime scene investigation of all nearby houses where the criminal activity took place."

"A crime happened in this area?" my mother asked in shock. "Just what happened?"

"... Mrs. Tachibana I'm afraid there was a triple homicide at the Nakamura residence at approximately noon. What we know right now is that three out of four children were slain at that house. The sole survivor of this heinous act has been taken to the emergency room for recovery. Hanako, Kikuko, and Niwakiso Nakamura... were all killed this afternoon."

Everything that was said after that point was an utter blur. Niwa... Kiku... who would do such a thing! After being paralyzed with grief only the mention of Niwa's name snapped me out of it.

"After conducting a search on the house, we found this letter that was addressed to the Tachibana residence. Judging by the location, it looks as if it were recently written by the male victim, Niwakiso. It's possibly the last thing the boy had the chance to work hard on so it would be a shame if it were never delivered..."

The said letter was passed to my mother, who immediately passed it to me. I read the letter without a millisecond of hesitation. After absorbing the letter, and all of its agonizing words, everything became a blur again...

* * *

"Kanade Tachibana, my sister – my rival... Over the years, we competed over many things, but I lost the only one that really mattered that day. We lost a good friend that day... but according to that letter, it was you that won his heart.. A moment ago you said that I can do what I wanted now that we are alone... but what I want is to finally defeat you."

Kanade nodded and responded, "And what I want to do is fulfill the promise that I made with you long ago. So come, sister."

A promise she says…?

* * *

_Author's Note:_

_This chapter's references include "Mahou Sensei Negima," "League of Legends," and "Mahvel Baybee!"_


	15. Finale: Reunion Under the Star

A sole lost boy wanders a dreary world that is drenched in sepia. He wanders in search of the one who undoubtedly warped everyone to this desolate reality. It was only a short time ago that the boy and the one he seeks were strangers. Destiny is what brought, drawn and kept them together. It is that very bond the boy relies on – to find the one he is seeking. And once she is found, the seeker will follow his silent vow – and never lose her again.

She stands at the apex of a hill with her gaze below the summit. A small wind blows in the same direction as the desolation in front of Yuri as she starts to wonder why she decided to thrust herself away from a place that made her feel safe. A viable answer did not develop before her eyes started to fill up with the weight of regret. And then someone called out to her from behind, followed by a sudden ambush that would embrace her with the warmth that she loved and feared simultaneously.

* * *

In the center of an unused stone plaza, two girls stare each other down with amber eyes that are slightly worn from the irregular passage of time.

"Do you not remember the promise that we made in our first life?" Kanade spoke to the other. "...I see. Considering how those days were, that is not surprising."

"What do you mean?" asked the other.

Kanade began to gather her memories necessary to answer her former sister, but not without several disturbing thoughts that would visibly affect her expression.

"The day we made that promise... was also on the last day that you were completely conscious," Kanade began. "The school district's talent competition was on the same day and I was a contestant with my piano performance. On that afternoon we ate lunch together... it was there that I asked whether or not you would come to watch me perform. You said that you would, under one condition..."

Kaya volunteered to finish the sentence. "I said that if I go, I did not want to see you lose to anyone that isn't me... But I... I don't remember how it went. I don't even remember going to see you..."

Kanade directed her gaze towards the sky before clarifying, "The evening I won that district competition... was the same night that you accidentally fell from our school's roof. You were physically paralyzed ever since. From that point, I decided to proceed to the regional and national competitions with a new goal... and without losing to anyone. And with the prize money, you would go through the operations necessary to become fully healed. Somehow, I wound up winning the Nationals despite the intense competition... and the stage was set up for your revival. But then..."

Kanade's already soft voice ran out of volume. She took a deep breath and faced her sibling once more with misty eyes.

"But then... my own heart reached its limit. At the last minute... the money had to be used for an emergency heart transplant! And with Yuzuru's heart... I couldn't do anything else but watch the rest of your life – and the rest of mine."

"..." Kaya said nothing.

"Sister Kaya... between then and now, I have lost to no one else. That is why we can do this right here. No... you must do it."

"You mean to say that after all this time... you never lost to anyone else?"

"That is correct," Kanade replied with a confident nod.

"...Not even once?"

"Not even...ah..."

Kaya gave a wily smirk. "So there was one time..."

"N-no! Well... there was one bet between me and... Ah.. forget what I said! She tricked me, so that does not count! Geez... that Yuri... ruining this moment..."

The spontaneous gestures coming from Kanade amused Kaya to the point of laughter. Eventually the contagious fit affected both of them wholly.

"Ha... you're just as honest as always," Kaya finally replied. "If only I had that quality... Anyways, sister.."

"Yes, Kaya?"

"Do you really think I'll be any happier if you let me win, especially after what you just told me?"

Kanade tilted her head in response. "What should I do? I do not want to fight you."

"..Make a wish," Kaya answered while pointing upward. An enigmatic sphere rotated at the direction in front of Kaya's index finger. It donned the colors of the human eye's perception of the sun...

* * *

"This is... one of those places, right? A Closed Space?"

The boy who held the girl from behind hummed his response. "Yeah. Although this space doesn't look like it belongs to Haruhi."

"Why did you follow me all the way here..?" Yuri went on while quivering mildly. "I can't go back, Kyon. If I do, I'll just get addicted from the warmth coming from all of you. Even if I really want to, I can't.. It will tear me apart... (just like Asakura said...)"

"Why is that, Miss Nakamura?" asked a distant voice that paced her way into the others' vicinity. Her look of worry is sincere. "Forgive me for getting involved, but it almost sounds like you are saying that you do not have the right to be happy... That's simply not true! If there is somewhere that you like to be, then there is no reason for you to leave! If you do things like that, then everyone will be sad in the end... not just you."

"Mikuru..." Yuri cried softly. "That may be so... and part of me really does want to stay here.. with everyone.. But in the end, it's too much for me. I mean.. how can I accept this after everything that I've caused..?"

A more brash voice closes in on the group, piercing through the melancholy. "Are you still mulling over your younger siblings? Why can't you just forget about them already?"

"M-Miss Suzumiya!" exclaimed Asahina.

"You should consider thinking before you speak, you know!" Kyon added.

"What are you all talking about? Isn't it obvious that Yuri's brother and sisters wouldn't want her to carry on like this? Anyone who thinks that making themselves miserable over the past will solve anything has gone completely crazy! It's just common sense! If you lose something, you have to find something new to even things out. Even though there's no real way to replace your siblings, I can be..."

Haruhi's voice trailed off as Yuri's heart strongly reacted to what was just said.

"Maybe I really am saying too much."

"Maybe," Kyon replied after finally releasing his grasp on Yuri. "But if you were about to say what I thought you were going to... then perhaps for that moment, we were thinking alike."

"Um – I think I may have also had the same thought come across my mind just then."

"You guys...?"

Yuri slowly turns around to face the trio that stands by her. The sight of the three of them together causes Yuri to briefly convulse – as the memories of the past and present overwhelmed her for a brief moment. Ever since Yuri forcibly separated from her siblings in the past , her perception of reality changed dramatically. Yuri took it upon herself to harden up and accept reality to the best of her ability. And now...

"Yuri.. please stay here.. since you already found us, that is."

...

"And just in case the spirit of your siblings really do have something to say about it, don't worry. We'll handle it for you."

…

"You're already a member of the SOS Brigade, so you can't even think about leaving now! That in itself... is a family too, right? Even though there's no real way to replace your siblings, I... **we** can still be a part of you."

And now... that reality has finally decided to reward her.

"Please, Yuri," echoed three soothing voices.

Nothing was left to hold back the tears that welled up inside of Yuri. Or rather.. she finally understands that there is no more reason to hold back. Even if she would drop every defense she has, the three that are with Yuri right now would surely protect her with all of their combined hearts. As the said three held Yuri close, a glowing orb hovered above the party as if it were shedding even more light for the cause..

* * *

In a Closed Space immersed in a melancholic blue tint, a sole orb of light shows off its radiant aura. Its audience is a small band of espers wearing bittersweet smiles.

"Say, Mori," one of the espers called. "Can you run the meaning behind this ball of energy by me again?"

A calm and beautiful esper replied, "The wish of this world has been granted. This ball of energy marks the time for new wishes to surface in the new world."

"The wish of this world... was Yuri Nakamura?"

"To be more accurate, the wish of this world belonged to a troubled little girl from a distant world," answered a young male esper named Itsuki. "That girl wanted nothing more than to reunite with the family that was being taken away from her... in a new world full of wondrous mysteries. Not only does this miniature star relay this answer to the lot of us, but it also tells us that the conditions were met shortly after Yuri's arrival, which means... All the pieces of the puzzle have finally been assembled, and the stage is set for a new world... a new beginning."

"But how does a mere little girl possess what it takes to evoke such a powerful wish?" asked an elder esper.

Koizumi opened his rarely seen pupils before responding. "Mr. Arakawa, I'd be willing to bet that the answer to that question is beyond the comprehension of even the Data Integrated Thought Entity. This would roughly explain the opposition coming from Miss Nagato's faction before Nakamura and Suzumiya became acquainted with each other. If this placeholder world were to live out its full purpose like it has, then the Entity may have feared that it would not have enough time to search for the answer that it was seeking..."

"And now it all has come down to this..."

Mori, whose smile gradually became more genuine turned to Koizumi before responding, "Do you have any wishes for the future, Koizumi?"

As Mori asked this, the glowing orb rapidly expanded in size, inviting everyone in its vicinity to its innards.

* * *

"_As ordinary as it sounds, I would want nothing more than to have the next world just as enjoyable as the first."_

"_Nothing about that sounds ordinary!"_

_"I know! How about a world where there's aliens, time-travelers, and-"_

"_Try again!"_

"_Sister, I will try harder, next time. I won't lose to you."_

"_Right. Let's do our best in the future."_

"_Um.. what about you? Do you have a wish for the future?"_

"_I already have everything I could possibly want. I guess... if the friends I made... at that place... can be just as happy..."_

"_Hey! Are you talking about us, Yurippe?"_

"_W-who are these people?"_

"_Everyone.. these are.. my friends."_

"_However, you can refer to me as your God."_

"_I believe I will pass as that title is reserved for another."_

"_Everyone, call me Chri-"_

"_How shallow-minded..."_

"_Everyone quiet!"_

"_Eep!"_

"_Well now... Assuming that the lot of us will get to know each other in the future, the days ahead should be most interesting."_

"_I can barely hold my excitement... can we just get on with it already?"_

"_Okay, it's party time!"_


	16. Epilogue

**[Cue Music - "Hemisphere," by Maaya Sakamoto]**

It is an everyday school morning and Kyon stands at the foot of the hill that would lead to his destination. He gives a sigh that hints at the fact that he wants to turn around and go back. A small figure joins his side by the name of Kaya Tachibana. Behind both of them is Kanade Tachibana. Kyon waves to the faraway travel mate. In response, Kaya playfully shoves Kyon up the hill to make sure everyone will get to school on time.

…

The trio navigates their way to their way to the school gates, where the hyperactive duo (Tsuruya and Yui) are engaged in a drawn out rock-paper-scissors stalemate. Kyon manages to sneak away to his locker unnoticed by the goofballs and Tachibana sisters.

…

Two of Kyon's fellow classmates (Hinata and Taniguchi) were there to greet him with random banter about girls and after-school events scheduled for today. Kyon inputted little into the conversation and eventually decided to leave the shoe locker to continue his ordinary day starting with homeroom.

…

The class representative (Ryoko Asakura) delivered Kyon his handout followed by the one behind him (Haruhi Suzumiya). As they engaged in conversation, he noticed two of his classmates (Kunikida and Oyama) engaged in conversation in what looks like the exact same position. Haruhi shouts, accusing Kyon of not paying attention while attracting the attention of the majority of the class. The 'bowl-cut brothers' chuckle nervously.

…

After school.

The debate club's closure argument of the day involves two of the club's most persuasive students (Itsuki Koizumi and Naoi Ayato). The high majority of non-competitors left in the room were female students, including a considerably popular junior named Mikuru Asahina. One must wonder how many of them are actually interested in the discussion.

Yui is busy cheering her heart out at all of the North High Talent Show acts. One act in particular consisted of a sole male dancer, who performed impressive _Michael Jackson-_esque steps all while blindfolded with a stylish red bandana. Even after that stellar performance, Yui's excitement would only escalate with the last act on schedule: _Battle of the Bands: "ENOZ" Vs. "Girls Dead Monster."_

The judo club's (Matsushita) sensei has a black belt to award to Tsuruya today. Shiina would accompany her close friend (Sakanaka) to her faraway house, where she would look forward to giving her dog (Rousseau) a large hug before they would go on his scheduled walk. The Tachibana sisters have a ranked online video game match to attend together with their skilled overseas pen pal (Yuki Nagato). Nagato sends message asking whether or not they are ready. The sisters ready their response while hovering their index fingers over the _ENTER _key.

...

* * *

Another average day comes to pass, and Kyon would engage in his usual routine that involves walking Haruhi halfway to her house.

"Say, Kyon," Haruhi started. "I was thinking. You know how I was complaining this morning about how every club in this school is meaningless?"

"What about it?" Kyon replied nonchalantly.

"If I'm not satisfied with what is available, then why don't I start a club myself? Sounds pretty cool, huh?"

"..."

"What's the matter with you?" Haruhi scowled. "You should excited about this idea!"

Kyon replied in a tone barely audible, "That's impossible since I practically gave you the idea in the first place..."

"What was that?"

"It's nothing," Kyon answered. "Don't pay any attention to me. (Even though you were doing that to begin with...)"

Once everyone reached the street corner close to the train crossing, the duo ran into another couple traveling from the other side. Ironically, the male half of both sides of the crossing look exaggeratedly exhausted while the females stood tall as if they sapped their partner's energy.

"Hey," the red-haired girl said to the other. "I see that you're also carrying around extra baggage."

"You know it!"

"Who are you calling extra baggage!" both males shouted at the same time. Kyon and his orange-haired counterpart observed each other; they gave each other an exasperated grin.

A green light permitted couple two to cross and go on their wave. With a hearty wave, the young girl started off on her destination with her quote directed to Kyon.

"You take care of her, alright?"

"Yeah... (wait, what)?"

The other guy followed suit and waved the others goodbye. Kyon and Haruhi watched the odd couple until they were no longer visible.

"So about my new club," Haruhi continued. "We're going to have to work together to find potential members that are either equally or more interesting than those two."

"Were those guys really that interesting...?" Kyon asked softly. "I guess you're right... Wait, you're already including me as part of this hypothetical club's population?"

"At least one of our members should be a mysterious transfer student! It's getting around that time where anyone who transfers from this time-frame has to have some crazy backstory! Tomorrow, we should check out the Literary Club to see if it's as vacant as I last remembered. If it's the same, then that covers our new base of operations! Hey Kyon, are you listening?"

...

_Come join everyone...  
__Together in this new world~  
__Where wishes come true._

**[End Cue Music]**

* * *

_Author's Note:_

_I would like to thank everyone sincerely for following me through this. There's more that I'd like to say, but I think I will save those comments for the journal entry that will be added today on my profile page. With that being said, Have a great Thanksgiving and a Happy Holidays, everyone!_


End file.
